


You Found Me

by yutorin



Series: The Heisei Kumi [8]
Category: Hey! Say! JUMP, Johnny's Entertainment, Johnny's Jr., Ya-ya-yah (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Birthday Presents, Coming of Age, First Kiss, First Love, Fist Fights, Friends With Benefits, Gunshot Wounds, Kinda, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Murder, Originally Posted in 2015, Originally Posted on LiveJournal, Sharing a Bed, runaways - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-07 20:20:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 20
Words: 54,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20823215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yutorin/pseuds/yutorin
Summary: This is the story of how little Chinen Yuri grew from a young, homeless boy to the leader of a faction of a growing Yakuza group; and learned a lot about life, love, who he was, and what he wanted in the process.





	1. Chapter 1

Chinen Yuri was twelve years old when he lost his virginity. At the impressionable age of twelve, his body was still very tiny, his face round and cute and innocent looking, his dark bangs falling into his eyes. He made the decision to have sex in a moment of spontaneity, but he made it for himself, and he never looked back on the experience as a negative one. In fact years later it would be remembered, despite its immoral nature, despite the knowledge that it had been an immature and reckless decision, with a small upward lit of his lips, barely hinting at a smile. Not once would he regret the decision, or its consequences. Because that night was the beginning.

It was April 3, 2006. Chinen was full, having just managed to score a free meal off of a business lady on her way home from work. A gentle wind raked his bangs across his forehead. It was nice, sakura petals swirling around him like snow. He pulled the hood of his jacket down off of his head, taking in the way the petals shone in the last rays of sunlight. Now he just needed to figure out where he would crash for the night, and how he would pay—or not pay—for it. He made his way down to the night life part of town, heading for the entrance to a club, hoping to swipe a wallet off of some drunk, unsuspecting stranger. There was a yell from behind him.

"Yamada-kun!" He ignored it. "Yamada-kun?!" Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder, whipping him around. It was a guy. His hands were strong, and he was frowning, angry, but Chinen wasn't really paying attention to the man's anger, distracted and surprised to find that he looked so unexpectedly young. He was still older than Chinen, but if he _was_ an adult, it was just barely. He was beautiful, his eyes dark, bow shaped lips pink in the glow of the night lights. He was taller than Chinen but not abnormally tall, and his skin was rather tan, his hair a little overgrown, dark bangs whipping around his face in the warm night wind. Chinen looked up at him, stunned and apprehensive.

"What—?!" The young man stared at Chinen for a moment. "Shit. You're not Yamada." Chinen remained silent, realizing that an opportunity had just fallen into his lap. This guy probably had a wallet. It was probably in his pocket, easily accessible, with a little distraction. He could just take it. Chinen considered kicking the guy in the face right there on the sidewalk, but...he was probably the most aesthetically pleasing human Chinen had seen in weeks. It would be a bit of a shame to damage a face like that. His mother had always told him to treasure beautiful things, Chinen thought sarcastically. Besides, it would be a completely unprovoked attack.

So instead he got up on his tiptoes, pulling this stranger's face down to his own, and he kissed him, sneaking his free little hand into the man's pocket. The man jerked back out of the kiss, Chinen's hand fumbling to get hold of the wallet, already halfway out of this guy's pocket when he grabbed Chinen by the wrist. Chinen looked up at him, stunned and apprehensive.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" The young man asked. Chinen remained silent, wishing that this guy would just let go. He didn't feel like dealing with this. "Come here." The guy said. Chinen nearly groaned out loud. What was this guy thinking? That just because he was small he didn't know how to defend himself against a simple threat? Chinen once again considered kicking the guy in the face right there.

He decided to just go with it and let the wallet man drag him out behind the club into the alleyway. He was shoved up against the exterior wall of a neighboring building, the brick cold, the chill sending a shiver down his back. He didn't understand why they were back here. The guy could have confronted him his fine on the sidewalk. He crossed his arms, looking up at him, and the guy said

"You're a crappy pickpocket." Chinen let the comment roll right off, staring at a brick under the man's arm nonchalantly, trying to convey just how unaffected he was by this guy's actions. "Who are you?" Chinen's eyes snapped up at him in surprise.

"What?"

"What's your name?" The pretty guy asked. Why did he give a fuck?

"Why do you care?" He spat, trying to glare up at the man but failing, his genuine shock at being asked overruling his poor acting skills. The guy didn't respond, just standing there, waiting. Weird. Still, Chinen decided to play his game. What harm could it do?

"Chinen Yuri." The guy grinned.

"Cute." He paused. "And how old are you, Yuri-chan?" Chinen froze for a moment. He definitely wasn't sharing that bit of information.

"Sixteen." He declared. "Today is my birthday." It was a complete lie. But he figured he could pass for barely older than fifteen, on a good day. It he was lucky. "How old are you?" The wallet man smirked.

"Seventeen." He announced. Chinen nodded. As he'd suspected, this guy wasn't even an adult. Somehow that made him less creepy. Chinen hated adults. They couldn't see beyond their own desires, the lot of them. "Since it's your birthday, and because you seem to like kissing so much I'm going to cut you a deal, Yuri-chan. I'll give you all of the change in my wallet—" he opened it up, showing Chinen the contents. There was at least 30,000¥ inside. That was a lot. "All you have to do is show me how badly you want it." Ah. A game. He looked up at the teenager through his bangs. The dude obviously didn't think he'd take the offer, just trying to scare him. Chinen hated being underestimated. He could just kick him in the face and take the wallet, and he was prepared to do that, shifting his weight, but there was something about this guy that made him pause, and it wasn't that he was pretty.

It was the fact that he had stopped and asked Chinen what his name was. He had shown in that one question an interest in Chinen as a _person_, another human being, and that scrap of respect was something he wasn't used to being treated to. This guy treated him more like an equal, a human on the same level as himself than anyone ever had. He stared at the guy for a moment, contemplating his decision, taking in his face in the hazy glow of the neon lights a distance off. And the teenager just stood there, watching Chinen watch him, waiting relaxed, and Chinen knew that if he just ran away the guy wouldn't chase him. There was a moment when he hovered on the cusp of indecision, and then he made his mind up. He took a step forward, going up on his tiptoes and pressing his lips to the pretty teen's.

His lips were slightly chapped, and his breath tasted like gum and tea, but mostly gum. Chinen's reaction obviously took the guy by surprise; he froze there for a moment, letting Chinen pull away. Chinen took in his face, trying to gauge his reaction, before leaning in again, reconnecting their mouths. This time he responded to Chinen's kiss, hastily shoving the wallet into his back pocket with one hand, his other cradling Chinen's head. Chinen liked that. The head cradling. It was nice. Again with the treating him like a human thing. Plus, this guy was a damn good kisser. Not that he'd had much experience in the kissing department, but still. His lips were soft and pliable, and they slid and worked, moving with Chinen's, endorphins surging through his veins as this guy kissed him. Chinen wrapped his arms loosely around the guy's neck, pulling him closer; bending him forward a bit and going up on his tip toes, nearly stepping on the teen's feet.

He was warm, his body radiating heat, and the closer their bodies got the closer Chinen _wanted_ to get, the larger teen's warmth pushing away the chill settling in the night air. Sure, it was spring, but it could still get cold at night. The guy's hands stopped cradling Chinen's skull and he wrapped his arms around Chinen's upper back, enveloping him in warmth. Their bodies were close; Chinen slipped his arms into the guy's jacket, gripping at his shirt underneath, relishing the warmth, and the older teen teased his lips open, slipping his tongue inside Chinen's mouth. Oh. Wow.

They slowly adjusted their positioning until Chinen felt his back brush lightly against the brick wall, the edges of the bricks rough, scraping and catching on the fabric of his jacket. Chinen pulled himself way from the wall, giving up on any attempts not to step on this guy's shoes and instead standing balanced on the tops of his feet to keep himself away from the unpleasantly harsh wall. Their bodies were pressed together, and it made the kissing a lot harder, due to their height difference. The older teen's hands slowly worked their way down his back until they found Chinen's ass, and all of a sudden he scooped Chinen up, hitching his forearms under Chinen's thighs as best he could. Chinen was pressed bodily up against the brick exterior of the building behind him to help the older teen support his weight and he wrapped his legs around the guy's waist, their bodies flush up against each other.

The wall was still scraping at his back, immensely unpleasant, but this new angle aided in the making out a great deal, and Chinen focused more on the tongue in his mouth than the scrape of the bricks along his spine. Chinen helped in holding himself up by clinging to his companion, his strong arms wrapping around the guy's shoulders, his legs hooking around his waist, anchoring him up. The teen rolled his hips a bit, and Chinen felt his erection through his black jeans press into Chinen's own budding arousal, the friction sending an electric trill down his spine. _Oh._ That felt good. Like, really good.

The guy did it again, and Chinen heard a soft moan escape his lips, his hips involuntarily bucking against the seventeen year old's. It was then that the pretty guy pulled back out of their heated lip lock and said

"Wait, are you..." He rolled their hips together again, his grip tightening on Chinen's thighs as he did, and another small sigh of pleasure escaped Chinen's lips, his chest heaving as he gulped for air, the sharp gasping a shock to his lungs. "...a boy, Yuri-chan?" _Oh, this guy had thought he was a girl. Shit._ Well it wasn't the first time someone had made that mistake, but still. It was too bad. He'd really been enjoying this, honestly.

"Yeah. Is that going to be a proble—" Chinen's question wasn't even completely past his lips before the older teen said

"Fuck, okay." He was kissing him again, hot, open mouthed kisses, and Chinen responded in kind. Apparently gender wasn't an issue. That revelation was another amazing, startling, pleasing one, and he felt so...free. Unburdened of the judgment and ridicule he had grown so used to from humanity en masse. After another minute or two, the guy pulled away, his chest heaving, their noses bumping a bit with every breath, and he said

"Want to take this to a proper room, Chinen-kun?" Chinen nodded immediately, his head bobbing without due process of the information. He didn't really care where they went, he just didn't want to stop the sensations, so new, so unbelievably electric, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. But they couldn't stay here; it was too public, too out in the open. He crashed their lips together for one last hot, long, mind numbing kiss, feeling the guy's erection hard against his own, and when it finally broke the older teen set him down, grabbing him by the hand—he had nice big, warm hands with long fingers, his nails clean, and his hand enveloped Chinen's smaller one—and they practically ran back out onto the main street, and Chinen looked up to see an establishment with a bright pink neon sign out front, labeling it as _Hotel Charmed Mitsuko._ A love hotel. The wallet guy led him inside, and Chinen was surprised when the lady at the check in counter greeted the other guy with a smile, already grabbing a room key and passing it to him.

"How long will you be staying this time, Takaki-san?" She asked, and Chinen looked over at the guy. Apparently his name was Takaki. He must come here a lot, perhaps taking countless men and women to bed. No wonder he could kiss so damn well. The teen, Takaki, just shrugged, sending a lust filled look down at Chinen that made him shiver just a bit. She didn't seem to mind that response, and he didn't waste any time in getting to their room, throwing the door open and barely getting across the threshold before pulling Chinen in for a kiss. They kissed their way across the room, shuffling awkwardly; their legs catching on each other as they made their slow progression to the bed.

Honestly Chinen had pretty much forgotten about the money at this point. He'd even forgotten about why he had gotten himself into this situation in the first place. None of that mattered as long as this Takaki guy's tongue kept doing what it was doing. Takaki's legs hit the bed and he fell backward onto it, Chinen scrambling over him hurriedly to reconnect their mouths. The older teen's arms wrapped themselves around his waist, his hips rolling against Chinen's own, and his hands crept up Chinen's shirt, fingers pushing the fabric out of the way and breaking their kiss for a moment to lift the garment from Chinen's body completely.

"You're so tiny, Chinen-kun." Takaki murmured, his lips finding the juncture between Chinen's neck and his shoulder, and _oh_ that felt good. By this point his erection was straining in his jeans, and he reached down, unfastening the button and zipper to give himself some relief. Takaki rolled him over onto his back, and the bigger guy paused, pulling his wallet out of his pocket and reaching over to place it on the bedside table. To do this he had to completely lift himself off of Chinen for a moment, and Chinen found himself pouting, not wanting to stop, enjoying the sensations washing over him. Liking the feeling of this guy's hot body over him, like a human blanket but so much better.

"More." He whined, and Takaki reached down, palming at his erection, the older teen's large hand slipping into his pants, under the waistband of his underwear just as he leaned back down to kiss Chinen, his plush lips catching the sharp inhale of surprise and sucking it back out. Pure wordless pleasure washed over Chinen's body as Takaki's hands worked, jimmying his pants off of his legs and kicking them away, his hand grasping at the hairs at the nape of the older teen's neck.

He was conscious of the fact that what they were doing probably constituted as sex in some manner—or if it didn't, then it soon would—and he had thought that he would care more honestly. He had always assumed that he wouldn't be comfortable with doing something that was supposed to be this intimate private act with someone he didn't know. But he wasn't really scared, and he wasn't feeling shy or anything. He mostly just felt _good_. And he really, really liked that. He didn't care that he didn't know who Takaki was. He didn't care that Takaki didn't know anything about him. He didn't care that they weren't _in love_. Not that he really believed in that shit anyway. Love was a lie his parents had never tried to pull over his eyes. Besides, he was old enough to take care of himself. He could make his own decisions, and he wanted this. He wanted all of it.

"More." He said, fingernails scraping gently along his bedmate's back when Takaki paused once more to grab lube and condoms from the bedside table.

"More." Chinen moaned when the older teen pushed one-two-three fingers inside of his body, causing him to squirm in curiosity at the intrusion.

"More." Chinen gasped once Takaki finally pushed inside, their bodies flush along each other from toes to chests, the bigger teen's first thrust sending shocks of pleasure down his spine so jarring that he gripped the bed sheets, the word falling from his lips like a prayer.

"More." He begged as Takaki pulled out, the older boy spent, but he himself still harder than he had ever been in his life, right on the cusp of release.

"More!" He shouted out as Takaki wrapped his lips around Chinen's erection, his mouth hotter than anything Chinen had ever felt before, sucking him off in a matter of seconds, Chinen spilling his release down the older boy's throat, Takaki coughing and pulling away, his face screwing up at the taste.

"Happy birthday Chinen-kun." Takaki mumbled, a small smile on his lips, flopping down next to him on the mattress, flushed and sweaty, his hair a mess on the pillow. Chinen took a moment to catch his own breath, and he knew he too must be covered in sweat and bodily fluids, but the bed was _so_ comfortable. He curled up, not even bothering to pull on his underwear, and Takaki threw the bed sheets overtop of their bodies, Chinen burying himself underneath them. Chinen was asleep in a matter of moments, more relaxed than he'd ever been in his entire life.


	2. Chapter 2

Chinen woke up sore, disoriented, and alone. It took him a minute to recall where he was and why he was there, and he lay in the bed, the blankets thrown off of one corner where that guy had gotten out. He put a small hand on the spot where his bedmate had lain. It was cold. So he'd left a while ago. That was fine; Chinen didn't really know what he would have been expected to say to that guy anyway...what was his name? Ta—something.

He sat up, his eyes flicking around the room. His shirt was crumpled up inside out, flung across the floor. His jeans and underwear were still wrapped up together in a mess at the foot of the bed. And there, on the bedside table was the wallet. Chinen reached over, picking it up. There was actually money in it and everything. He honestly hasn't expected the guy to keep his word. He counted the bills. 37,400¥! That was an amazing surprise. He could do a lot for himself with that kind of money. He searched the wallet for an ID of some sort, looking for that person's name. He wasn't sure what he would do with it if he found it, but still...not that it mattered. The wallet was completely empty save for the money. Ah well. He set the wallet aside, already feeling rather optimistic about his day.

His eyes caught on a shower on the far end of the room. It was a fancy thing, with a large tub completely encased in glass, and he threw the covers off of himself with every intention of washing up. The cold air hit him like a wave, and he shivered, crouching in on himself for a moment. He padded around the room, finding a knob controlling the air conditioning. It was down to 20 degrees C. No wonder. He fiddled with it for a moment, turning the thing off and cracking a window to warm up the room. Curiosity sated, he hopped in the shower, the hot water washing away any physical reminder of the previous night's events.

As Chinen washed he mentally reviewed what had happened. It hadn't been what he had expected, but he supposed he hadn't really known what to expect. It had kind of been strange to be that close to another person. He had never been very close with others, emotionally or physically. He didn't really make friends, and his parents were not affectionate when it came to their child. But that guy from last night had been _right there;_ on top of him, _inside_ him. And it was good, at least, while it lasted. He had liked it, the closeness, feeling his body heat, touching him and being held by him.

As he thought about it—about how it had felt—he wrapped his own arms around his torso, squeezing tight in a mimicry of the way that teen had held him the previous evening. He tried to recreate the action, hoping that with it the way he had felt while being held would be reincarnated. But his own small hands and arms, so tiny in comparison to the other guy's, were a poor imitation. He let them fall back to his sides, giving up and quickly finishing his shower. He had more important things to figure out now. Like what he was going to do with himself, and his new wallet.

He took his old clothes and tried washing them in the bath, using the bar soap and scrubbing, wishing he still had his bag. He wasn't stupid, he had packed himself multiple outfits and basic survival things like water and a small first aid kit when he had left home, but they had been lost nearly a week ago, misplaced or taken from the net cafe he had holed up in for the night. Now he just had these. He hung the articles over the top of the shower to air dry, wrapping himself in the hotel robe, and he began to explore the room properly.

There wasn't much else to it really. The side table held basic sex objects, boxes of condoms and the like. There was a mirror on the far wall that he hadn't noticed previously, and he took his reflection in for a moment, noting how the adult sized bathrobe was dragging on the floor, the sleeves past the tips of his fingers, and feeling defiant. The robe made him look like a child. He considered throwing it off, but the room was cold, and he didn't have anything else to put on. Not until his clothes dried. So he stared at his reflection, trying to find a way to like it. Eventually he just huffed a bit and turned away. He didn't need that reflection.

Tucked into a corner was a small closet and a table with a tea station on it, and he immediately fixed himself some, sipping the hot beverage and clutching the cup between his hands, warming them. There was a clock above the door, and his eyes caught on the time. It was past noon already, edging in on one in the afternoon. Oh wow. He must have slept late. He padded back to the shower, feeling his clothes. Ugh. They were still saturated with water, freezing to the touch. He'd probably have to wait a few more hours before being able to slip them on. Until then he was stuck here. Perhaps today he wasn't as lucky as he had first hoped.

He settled in, taking his teacup and opening the blinds on the window, intending to people watch. The light was blinding, the outside world so bright that it hurt his eyes at first, and he took a few minutes to adjust before turning his gaze down on the world below. It was green with a thin layer of flower petals filling the streets, but it wasn't windy, the sky a bright, whitish gray that wasn't pleasant to look at. The people walking by on the streets never looked up, scurrying by each other with their heads down, intent on reaching their individual destinations, and from his third story window they seemed like bugs.

He watched the people for a few hours, checking on his clothes periodically, and the sun was setting, dusk settling in early still, when there was a sharp knock on the door. At the sound he stiffened, glaring at the door. What the hell?! The intruder on his quiet little world knocked again, their fist rapping incessantly, the noise unpleasant. Chinen glanced around the space for a moment, panicked, his first thought escape. He couldn't get out through the window; he was up way too high. And besides, his clothes were still cold and wet, draped across the shower. The only thing covering him was the huge bathrobe, which while comfortable was not proper clothing in any sense of the phrase. The knocker started up again, and he groaned a bit to himself, pulling himself to his feet and swiping the wallet from his bedside table, shoving it in the robe's only pocket, just in case he had to make a run for it.

He was about to open the door when it swung inward of its own accord, and to Chinen's surprise the teenager from the night before entered, pocketing a key. They stared at each other for a moment, and under the guy's stare Chinen found himself hugging his robe a bit closer to his body, the huge extra folds of fabric making him feel as if he could disappear if he buried himself deep enough. He wasn't used to being looked at so scrutinizingly, as if he was the only person in the room—although he guessed that was actually the case. The older teen seemed taken aback, and he shoved his hands in his pockets, eyes trailing over the bathrobe and Chinen's drying clothes hanging in the shower. Finally, he spoke.

"Why the fuck are you still here?" Chinen had to fight down the impulse to run.

"It's none of your business."

"Yes it is, I'm paying for this room!" The guy declared. Chinen was skeptical.

"How? I have your wallet." The older teen shook his head.

"I don't carry all of my money around with me all the time. Who would do that? Besides, I have a deal with the manager." Chinen didn't respond, and after a moment the guy sighed, walking over to the bed and sitting down on the edge, asking for the second time

"So, tell me. Why are you still here? Most people don't like to hang around hotels after one-night stands." Once again this guy was stopping and asking questions. He could have just insisted that Chinen leave—that, Chinen thought, was probably the reason he came—but he was sitting down and waiting to hear what Chinen had to say. So Chinen answered him.

"I honestly didn't mean to stay so long. I'm waiting for my clothes to dry." He gestured to the garments hanging from the shower. The guy cocked his head as he looked over at the clothes, and Chinen could see the gears in his brain turning as he tried to piece everything together.

"Why're they wet?" He eventually asked.

"I washed them." This was met with another long silence.

"You can't just wear those home and put on clean clothes there, Chinen-kun?" The older teen asked. Chinen was disarmed by the question. If he answered truthfully, then he would be sharing something that he wasn't sure he wanted to. But this guy, his one-night stand, had remembered his name. He didn't know this guy’s name, but he remembered Chinen's. He couldn't think of a time that he had been remembered like that before.

"No. I lost the rest of my clothes." He confessed, continuing on to say "I don't have a home to go back to; I left my father's house. I'm not going back." The older teen nodded, frowning a bit.

"But you're old enough that you could probably find an apartment..." He paused, his eyes roaming over Chinen's tiny body, and Chinen watched the realization sink in. "You're not sixteen, are you?" Chinen couldn't help but wonder how stupid this guy was, to have actually believed that lie. The teen was visibly concerned now, his brows furrowing when Chinen shook his head in confirmation.

"How old are you then?" He asked, sounding as if he dreaded the response. Chinen was getting tired of the damn questions.

"How old are you?" He shot back, just to be difficult. The guy answered at once.

"Sixteen last month." It was Chinen's turn to be surprised.

"But you said you were seventeen last night!" Now the guy was obviously getting frustrated, rolling his eyes at Chinen's incredulous expression.

"Yeah, well you said you were sixteen. You've got to be younger than me. So what, are you like...thirteen?"

"No."

"Fourteen then?"

"No."

"Fuck. You—you're twelve?!"

"What if I am?" Chinen spat, crossing his arms, the huge sleeves of the bathrobe bunching up in thick wads right in the crook of his elbows. The older teen was glaring at him, obviously astounded. Chinen didn't really want to hear some speech about how he was _still a child_ or _too young to be able to make his own decisions, _so he switched the topic.

"Besides, you've got to have the mental age of a five year old if you actually thought I was sixteen." He said, deflecting the supposed blame he was feeling back at this fifteen year old. The guy got defensive.

"I thought you were a girl! You could pass for a fifteen or sixteen year old girl! And then by the time I realized you weren't....I was distracted by other things. More important things." Chinen pursed his lips, just waiting for this guy to tell him that he had to leave. But the older boy didn't. He sat there on the edge of the bed, and after a bit he said

"How was it for you?"

"What?"

"You know...the...last night." What? Chinen hadn't been expecting that one. His companion folded his hands, looking up from the bed, looking like he actually cared; or at least was genuinely curious. Oh. Chinen's mind raced through the implications of what was happening. Did this guy actually care? Was it important whether he did or not? Not really. What was important was what he wanted. Chinen had thought the older teen had come to kick him out, but they were still there. So then either he hadn't come to kick Chinen out or he had, but was changing his mind. If he played this right, he could probably get another night's stay out of this guy. He pouted a bit, putting on an act, swaying his body from side to side and clasping his hands together.

"I..." He let a shy smile grace his lips. "...I really had a good time." Chinen glanced over at the other boy, pleased to see that he was looking a little bit more aware of himself, catching his eyes as they trailed over Chinen's bathrobe. Chinen liked the way the older guy was so completely focused on him, deciding that while it had made him rather uncomfortable at first, this development was one that he could really enjoy. It felt good to be payed attention to. He approached the guy—what was his name? He really wished he could remember—and as he did the older teen sat up straighter. Chinen reached out, letting his hands run up the guy's thighs before climbing into his lap. The older guy put one of his big warm hands on Chinen's head, stroking his hair, looking down at him with a strange expression. Finally, he murmured

"You ran away, huh?" Chinen just nodded. He had kinda thought they were past that specific point. "That's tough. I know what that's like." He looked at Chinen, obviously thinking. "I have a proposal for you. I'll rent you out this room indefinitely, and let you stay here." He paused. "And in return...you let me come over whenever I want." The deal was too good to be true.

"You're trying to trick me. You're lying." Chinen declared. The guy shook his head.

"I'm serious." Chinen considered the offer. It was perfect. He wanted to convince this guy that it would be a good idea. One he wouldn't regret.

"In that case...maybe we could do it again?" He asked, treating this guy to wide, innocent eyes. He was actually serious about the question. He had really enjoyed his first time. It was an experience he wouldn't mind repeating. The feelings his body had gone through had been amazing, just thinking about it, the way their hot skin had slid against each other; the things this guy's mouth had done to him, made him want the guy to stay. The teen let his hands settle on Chinen's waist, but he was looking skeptical.

"You're twelve." He said. "I don't think—" Chinen gave him his best pout, the one that had won him free meals from random strangers nearly every night since he had run away from home. He found himself wishing he could remember his name, wishing he could whisper it, knowing that would probably seal the deal. He pressed a couple of kisses to the older teen's neck, murmuring. "It's fine, isn't it?" He pulled back, wrapping his arms loosely around the guys neck, leaning away just enough so that they were face to face. "We've already done it, anyway."


	3. Chapter 3

For a moment this guy just stared at him, his handsome face expressionless, and then he leaned in, his grip tightening on Chinen's waist, and he kissed him, his lips immediately moving roughly against Chinen's own. Chinen found himself moaning into the kiss, pulling himself closer to the teen, his hands entwining their fingers into this guy's hair. This time was quicker than last time. Chinen's robe easily discarded, the older teen not even bothering to remove his own clothing, just unzipping his jeans and taking Chinen right there, still sitting on the edge of the bed. He didn't prepare Chinen as long this time either, but it didn't hurt when he finally slid in, Chinen letting a small groan fall from his lips, his forehead resting on the guy's shoulder, his companion wrapping his larger arms around his shoulders, his breathing heavy.

They finished quickly too, and after a few minutes of stillness and silence apart from their own heavy breathing, the older teen pulled himself to his feet, discarding his condom, zipping his pants and fixing his hair, and he pointed at Chinen, saying

"Don't move. I'll be right back." Chinen watched him leave; wondering if this really was going to all pan out in his favor. Gingerly he pulled himself to his feet, feeling as that guy's release ran down his leg, carried by gravity. He grabbed a washcloth from the shower and cleaned himself up, still going over the deal he may have just managed to seal with this guy. It was crazy. What kind of a person would just put him up in a hotel, at no cost to himself? A really stupid one perhaps. But then after ten...twenty...thirty minutes passed, Chinen began to think _he_ was the stupid one. This guy was obviously not coming back. What if he had called the police on Chinen? That thought made him nervous and he pulled his still too wet clothes from the shower, beginning to put them on, despite how cold and uncomfortable they were, ready to make a break for it when the older teen returned.

He swung open the door with a flourish, and he frowned when he saw Chinen slipping on his wet pants, shivering from the cold as he zipped them up.

"What're you doing? I told you not to go." Chinen sighed, flicking his overgrown bangs out of his eyes.

"You took too long." He announced, ripping his pants back off, hating the way the damp fabric dragged on his cold skin. "I thought you weren't coming back." The guy smiled a bit, and said, much to Chinen's surprise

"Sorry." He held a small grocery bag, and he sat down cross legged on the floor, pouring the bag's contents out next to him. It was a bunch of vending machine and conbini foods, a can of juice accompanying the individually packaged breads and things. Still completely naked, Chinen joined the guy on the floor, snatching a melon bread from the pile. The guy grumbled at him

"These were for me!" But he didn't protest any further as Chinen unwrapped it from its plastic and bit into it. He was so hungry. The guy cracked open the can of juice, and for a moment there was an awkward silence as they sat there next to each other, their mouths full. But then the guy swallowed, setting the can down on the rug, and he said "I've talked to the manager, and the owner. They're letting us use the room." Oh. Wow. Chinen didn't really know what to say. The guy held out his hand, and he announced

"I'm Takaki Yuya, by the way. We never did proper introductions...did we?" Chinen reached out, gripping it firmly, his other hand still holding the melon bread.

"I'm Chinen Yuri." This guy—Takaki—smiled, and he got to his feet, saying

"You can keep that." He gestured to the food he'd dumped across the carpet. "I have to go back home; I'm definitely late for dinner. My...person...people...um—the people that I live with. They're gonna be...not happy." He seemed flustered, and he released Chinen's hand awkwardly. "The point is, I'm going. Don't leave. This place is for you. I'll be by to visit you again soon..." Chinen wanted to ask why he was doing this. He knew he sure as hell wouldn't if their positions were reversed, but his mouth was full of melon bread, and Takaki just gave him a small wave, shutting the door behind him.

Chinen feasted that night on vending machine breads and candies, stocking up the next morning on instant ramen that he could make in his room with the tea station he had. It wasn't exactly a balanced diet, but it was cheap. He didn't want to squander any of his money. His room was rather large, and he spent lots of time taking long baths and sleeping in late. It was really relaxing to have a place he could return to, even if it was as impersonal as a love hotel. It was better than some of the places he had slept before now.

The first time Takaki came back after solidifying their arrangement, Chinen didn't really know what to do. How was he expected to act in their situation? He'd never experienced anything like this before. He fretted about it a bit during the four days they were apart, but he needn't have worried. It was evening, Chinen having just finished a cup of instant ramen, the sky dark when Takaki came back. His arrival was abrupt; Takaki not giving him any warning, simply strolling right in, and Chinen barely had any time to acknowledge his presence before the larger teen was kissing him, his body hot, his hands in Chinen's hair, and after a moment he slowly pulled away, letting Chinen catch his breath.

"Hey." Takaki muttered, finally greeting him. Chinen didn't even know what to think about the sudden kissing, and he didn't respond, his breathing sharp, heart racing. Takaki seemed to notice his shock, because a guilty look washed over his face, and he said "Was that not okay? I'm sorry, I just...I don't have much time." Chinen just looked up at the older boy, tilting his head and examining the way his emotions played out on his face. This guy was so simple. But at least now Chinen knew what to expect from him.

"It's fine, Takaki-kun." A pleased smile broke across the guy's lips, his guilt obviously washed away by Chinen's assurance, and he scooped Chinen up, his lips already on Chinen's neck as he carried him over to the bed. He tossed Chinen down onto it, his body bouncing on the mattress before the older boy joined him, his larger frame enveloping him, and Takaki quickly took control of the situation with his hands and mouth. He wasted no time, stripping down and fucking Chinen into the mattress in a rush, making Chinen gasp and moan, too caught up in the sensations of it all to think about being embarrassed or quiet, and then all at once it was over, and they were left covered in sweat and gasping for air.

Chinen looked up from where he was splayed out on the bed, trying to blow his bangs out of his face, and Takaki honest to god giggled, brushing his hair back out of his eyes for him with a large hand. Chinen frowned.

"What's so funny?" He growled, and the older boy just rolled off of him, flopping onto the unoccupied space next to Chinen.

"You're just so weird." He said. Chinen just stared at him, not smiling. Takaki didn't seem to mind though, sitting up after a moment and beginning to redress himself. Chinen watched him put on his clothes, and as he did, a thought came to mind.

"You should get me more clothes." He said. Takaki looked over at him.

"What?"

"Clothes. I need more. I only have one outfit."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess you do." Was all the older teen said, nodding a bit. Chinen pouted.

"I'll be expecting at least one outfit when you come back." He pursed his lips. "I deserve at least one outfit." Takaki just blinked at him for a moment, looking as if his head was completely void of any thought process.

"You deserve one, huh?" He muttered under his breath. Chinen just slipped off of the bed, hopping in the shower to clean himself up as Takaki finished dressing. As he began scrubbing his hair, shampoo running down his face, Takaki called over the loud rush of the water "What, you're just finished with me now?" Chinen didn't really know what to say to that. What the hell else could Takaki want from him? They'd already had sex. Besides—

"Didn't you say that you didn't have much time?" He called back, and Takaki's eyes caught on the clock above the door.

"Shit!" The sixteen year old exclaimed, practically running out of the room. Chinen sighed, wondering once more about his patron. What kind of person was Takaki? He couldn't figure him out. This guy was paying for his hotel room in exchange for sex. But he also kinda seemed like he cared about Chinen in some twisted, vague, tiny way. Chinen didn't understand him at all. The guy was obviously an idiot, but—

His train of thought was cut off by a sudden sharp stinging in his eyes, burning painfully. The shampoo! Crap. He whined loudly to himself, and he complained to the now empty room, carelessly cursing the cleaning agent and shoving his head under the water, hoping that somehow that would help fix things. His eyelids were on fire, and he wasn't sure if he had cried or not, trying to get all of the chemicals out. He rubbed at his eyes with the palms of his hands, still feeling the burning, stomping his little feet a bit in frustration. It hurt, damn it!

It took him nearly five minutes before his eyes were no longer extremely uncomfortable, and with that success under his belt he hopped out of the shower, drying off and humming contentedly to himself as he got ready for bed, the clock on the wall signaling that it was still early. But Chinen loved to sleep. It was the very best way to spend one's free time. So he just curled up in his blankets, liking having them piled around himself, the bed seeming cozier that way, and within moments he was fast asleep.

It was only a few days later that Takaki came back by, and Chinen got what he had asked for. It was once again just after dinner, and Chinen was aimlessly doing handstands in the center of the room—testing how long he could hold them—when there was a knock at the door. He cartwheeled out of his position and stood, padding over to the door and opening it. Takaki immediately slipped in, murmuring a quick greeting as he leaned down to place kisses on Chinen's face and neck. Unlike last time though, Chinen was expecting it, and he quickly pushed the older teen away from him.

"Did you bring me clothes?" He asked, frowning a bit, his lips pressed together in a pout of frustration.

"Yeah." Takaki held up a bag. Chinen grabbed for it, genuinely excited about finally having more than one outfit. He turned away from Takaki, going back to the bed and dumping the clothes out onto it.

"Hey, what about—"

"After." Chinen declared, cutting him off; and when the other boy didn't protest further he felt a wave of satisfaction at successfully bossing him around. After taking a moment to smile to himself, he turned his attention completely to the items of clothing now splayed out on the mattress. There were three of everything; much to his delight. The garments were all different sizes, and they all had obviously been worn by a previous owner, no tags on them, some of the pant cuffs fraying in places.

"You didn't steal these off of some kids did you?" Chinen asked sarcastically, picking out a shirt and pair of pants and promptly taking off his own clothes to try them on. Takaki watched as he changed, not answering the question. Perhaps he had actually stolen them. In any case, they were too big, the first set unbelievably large, the sleeves on the shirt extending out a good five or six centimeters past his fingertips, while the pants would not stay up, instead pooling around his ankles. He held them up, trying to judge the length of the pant legs. They went past his toes, extending way out across the carpet.

"These are huge. They can't be for someone my age." He muttered.

"You're just really tiny." Takaki countered, flopping down on the bed as Chinen switched into another set. These, while still a bit too big, were much more reasonable. He could use these. The last set was luckily the same size as the second, and Chinen smiled down at the new clothes fondly, running his hands over the seams and folding them with care. Takaki watched him, and he said "So, are these okay?"

"Yeah." Chinen confirmed, setting the garments down at the foot of the bed and, now naked, he crawled across the mattress to Takaki.

"Good." The older teen announced, already throwing his own shirt off. "So, can we do this now?" He asked, one hand on Chinen's bare lower back, his palm hot and dry, and so _big,_ his fingers rubbing small circles on his skin. Chinen nodded. The guy had actually gotten him the clothing he had asked for. He'd earned it. Besides, it wasn't as if Chinen didn't enjoy sex. So he let the older teen pull him forward, his much smaller body lying across Takaki's own, their bare chests pressed against each other, and he leaned into the kiss, letting himself relax, his opinion of this idiotic playboy improved slightly by the acquisition of his new outfits.

The sex was good, and Takaki didn't rush it like he had the last few times, drawing it out and making sure that Chinen was having a good time, and he didn't leave until the early hours of the morning. And it was in this fashion that Chinen's days continued. Takaki came by multiple times a week, and now he always knocked before entering. He would occasionally bring another piece of clothing, Chinen's wardrobe slowly growing. For the most part the clothes were used, clean but worn, and Chinen figured he must be taking them from the same person—a sibling or something—as they all smelled of the same laundry detergent. He didn't really care, as long as he got to use them.


	4. Chapter 4

Days turned into weeks, and Chinen found himself going out and about during the day more and more. Takaki never really came by except in the evenings, and as the weather got warmer it was nice to be outside. He would go to parks and swing, and look at books in the nearby bookstore, and people watch. He even bought himself ice cream once, giving in to the temptation. Life had become something good; much better than it had been at home, and for the most part he was happy, if a little bored. He would be in school right now if he had stayed at his parents’ house, and he had honestly rather liked school. If nothing else it was an engaging way to spend his time.

He had been musing on that particular train of thought one evening when a group of kids—high school students judging on their uniforms—caught him in the park. It was evening, and he had just gotten off of the swing he'd been perched upon, intending to head back to the hotel, when they caught sight of him. It was a trio of boys, all of them much bigger and older than himself, and they were watching him, pointing and talking to each other in hushed voices. Chinen pretended not to notice them, leaning down to retie one of his shoes as they changed course, heading in his direction.

"Hey, baby! What's a little baby like you doing out without his mother?!" One of the boys called as they approached.

"Yeah, some big, scary kids might get you!" Another teen called, using a tone one might use with a pet or a newborn. His companions all laughed, and Chinen stood up, glaring over in their direction.

"Ah! Look at that little face! Is it a boy or a girl?" One said, as they drew closer, finally stopping once they were about fifty centimeters from Chinen. The comments were getting on his nerves a bit. He knew he was cute, and he liked his cuteness, but these boys weren't appreciating his looks. They were just being rude, trying to bully him. He contemplated how he was going to handle the situation, the three boys caging him in next to the swing set. He could run, but they might chase him, and he had small legs. Besides, that was probably what they wanted, and it wasn't really what he wanted to do. Then, one of them leaned forward, putting a hand on the top of Chinen's head, and Chinen no longer felt any indecision about what he wanted to do. They were asking for a beating.

"Leave me alone!" He shouted, grabbing the guy's arm and yanking him forward, kicking out and slamming that guy in the chest, feeling all of the air leave his lungs. He let go of the arm just to spin around as the guy fell forward, building momentum and using it to kick the high school kid in the face, knocking him down. He got on top of him; intending to kick him a few more times, but one of the other guys grabbed him by his right arm, yanking him and saying

"You little bastard!" Chinen swung his other fist at the teen's face, catching him in the mouth, and the guy let go, stumbling back. Chinen spun again, hooking his foot around and kicking the guy in the back of the knees, making him fall. As he did, the first guy had scrambled to his feet, his lip spilt where Chinen had hit him. He took off, running away and abandoning his friends. Chinen focused all of his energy on the guy now on the ground, kneeing him in the chest a few times, before just tackling him, knocking him down completely. The guy was cursing and struggling, but he wasn't very strong, and Chinen slammed a foot down on of his elbows, pinning him down, and he punched him a few times, aiming for the ribs and face, the older boy whimpering.

Chinen was breathing hard, and he sat down on his opponent's chest, looking up to find that the other guy had made his escape, the two of them alone in the park.

"Wh-what are you?" The high school kid muttered weakly, his eyes revealing a stark bewildered fear. "You...one of those Kumi boys?" Chinen didn't understand the bastard's question. What was he talking about, Kumi boys? He took a few deep breaths, slapping the guy in the face. He needed to shut up.

"You—you’re the baby." He told the teen, standing up and brushing off his pants. The guy just lay there, still conscious but not moving. "I'm taking this." Chinen announced, scooping up the guy's school bag, hitching it up over his shoulder and brushing his bangs out of his face, and he left the guy there in the park, heading home. It had been a while since he'd gotten into a fight. He had practiced gymnastics when he had lived with his parents, and after running away he had found that his skills in gymnastics could easily be applied to fighting. In the time that he had been away from home he had been in numerous fights, all of them with people older and bigger than himself, but the more he got in the less afraid he had been of fighting, and he was now rather confident in his fighting abilities. He was strong, and his opponents always underestimated him, like those high school bullies.

He hitched the bag up higher on his shoulder. It was full, and a bit heavy, it's weight strange feeling. At the time it had just felt like something he could do. The kid deserved to have his things taken; he had been condescending and rude. But Chinen also rather wanted the bag. He wanted the textbooks and notes he knew would be inside. He wanted to learn. He was tired of spending all of his free time wandering aimlessly. Yes, he enjoyed it; enjoyed the naps he could take in the middle of the day, and the freedom of being able to do whatever he wanted, but he was still only twelve. He was very smart for being twelve—he had been at the top of his class in school—but he knew that if he didn't continue his education then he'd end up dumber than the boys he had just beaten up in the park. He didn't want to become stupid.

That night he just investigated the high school guy's bag, dumping its contents out on his floor and going through all of the textbooks and any notes the guy had. He was a second year, and all of his things were more advanced than anything Chinen had ever seen, most of it confusing and difficult to comprehend. But Chinen was determined, and so the next day he took a few hours, and instead of wandering the streets or flicking through manga at the book store he picked a book and began to learn. It was hard, frustrating work. He was skipping years in between his current schooling and what these books were for. But he pushed on, and at the end of the time he had designated toward learning he felt rather proud of his accomplishments for the day, rewarding himself with a nap.

It was in this manner that Chinen passed the next few weeks, studying a few hours every day and spending his nights in bed with Takaki. The older teen always came after the sun had set, and once they'd had sex he started staying, holding Chinen as he lay on his chest or curled into his side, and often Chinen would just fall asleep, waking up in the morning to find that Takaki had gone. Chinen really liked it when Takaki would come by. He liked, more than sex, having another body next to him; the warmth and the way Takaki's big arms would feel around him a comfort. Almost like what he assumed being cared about would feel like. And he was fine with the way things were, not really all that attached to the boy himself, more attached to the warmth of another person in bed next to him, and the discovery that he really enjoyed snuggling.

It was halfway through May that this pattern was interrupted. It was a little past three in the afternoon and Chinen was sprawled out on the floor, textbooks and notebooks and pencils and things in a ring around him, the school bag flung off in a far corner. He was right in the middle of teaching himself precalculus, something really confusing involving vectors, and he honestly wasn't really getting it, when there was a knock on the door. He ignored it. It was probably the hotel staff, checking to see if he was there, or clean or something.

But then there was another knock, and another, and then the person on the other side of the door was fumbling with the knob, and Chinen was getting annoyed. He was trying to learn something that was really, really hard. But the person on the other side was persistent, and after a few moments the door swung open, and Takaki walked in. Chinen had to crane his neck in order to properly see Takaki from his place on the floor, and the older teen looked down at him in surprise, obviously not expecting Chinen to be laying down there by his feet. Chinen too hadn't been expecting Takaki. In the month and a half they had had their arrangement; he had never come by at this time of day.

They just looked at each other for a moment, Chinen wondering why Takaki was there, Takaki obviously absorbing some unexpected information, his eyes trailing over the school supplies Chinen had piled around him. Chinen sat up, dropping his pencil and crossing his legs, tilting his head back and blowing his bangs out of his eyes. Takaki wouldn't want to wait a few hours for him to finish studying, and he needed a break anyway, his head full of variables and numbers and new vocabulary words that just seemed unnecessary and were difficult to comprehend.

"What're you doing?" Takaki asked, as Chinen pulled himself to his feet.

"Just studying." Chinen told him, taking the older teens hand, Takaki already leaning down for a kiss, and as he led him to the bed Takaki asked

"Is it important?" Chinen pulled off his shirt, his hands already grasping at the hem of the older boy's, and he said

"Don't worry about it, Takaki-kun."

He thought his words had been enough to console his bedmate, Takaki not concerning himself with the books and focusing completely on Chinen, putting his body to work making Chinen feel good in ways that he had learned in their nights together Chinen liked best. But after the sex, after they had taken a minute to catch their breath, he was sitting up in the bed, one arm around Chinen's shoulders, his tan fingertips trailing little circles on his bare skin, and he said

"Do you go to school, Chinen-kun?" Chinen looked up at him. This guy really wasn't very observant.

"It's a little past four o'clock on a Wednesday afternoon, and I'm here with you. Do you think I go to school?" He asked sarcastically. Takaki giggled embarrassedly, nodding.

"That's true." He paused, his fingers still moving gently across Chinen's shoulder. But then he sat up straighter, removing his arm and crossing his legs, turning a bit so that he was facing Chinen completely. "So, do you study a lot during the day, Chinen-kun?" Chinen shrugged.

"Sometimes." He paused. "I guess." Takaki nodded, falling silent again for a moment.

"What do you study?" Chinen found himself shrugging again. He crawled out of bed, pulling on some pants and grabbing some of his textbooks, handing them to Takaki instead of talking. He was completely bewildered by what was happening. Why was Takaki asking all of these questions? He watched the older teen examine his books, and Takaki looked over at him, eyes wide.

"These are really hard! You must be a genius." He declared. He looked back down at the books, flipping through them a bit. "And you can understand this stuff, Chinen-kun?"

"Um...yeah. I mean, it's not easy, but I'm getting it..." Chinen muttered, still just confused and a bit uncomfortable.

"Wow! Did you go to a really elite elementary school, or something? Or are you one of those kids that skipped grades?" Takaki asked, and Chinen didn't respond, not really sure what to say. He hadn't thought he had gone to a special school or anything. "I never would be able to understand this stuff." Takaki declared, handing him his books back, and pulling on his pants, but making no move to leave. "Is that why you left home, Chinen-kun, your parents were really strict about school?" He paused "Or was it something like they got rid of your dog or something?" He asked, and Chinen was so surprised by the inquiry that he couldn't help but ask

"Why?" Now Takaki seemed taken aback.

"What?"

"Why are you asking me all of these questions? Does it matter if I'm smart, or stupid like you? Does it matter if my parents sent me to a nice school, or were strict or not? Why do you want to know if I used to have a dog, or if my family got rid of it? I don't understand. What does it matter?" Takaki seemed surprised by the outburst, and he stared at Chinen for a moment, frowning, his eyebrows bunching up closer and closer on his forehead, and when he spoke again his words were clipped, harsh, and he seemed a bit upset.

"I was just making conversation." He said, snatching his shirt up from the edge of the bed. He took a step forward, so that they were eye to eye. "I just want to get to know you, Chinen-kun." He explained, still obviously frustrated, and he shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I'll be back in three days." He declared after a moment, and with that he left, Chinen just watching him go; rooted to the spot. He hadn't been expecting the response he had gotten. He hadn't once considered that Takaki would want to know him. He had never really considered that anyone would want to know him. Even his parents and his teachers had never shown any interest in his opinions, his classmates all too busy voicing their own thoughts to listen to his own, and at some point he had just come to assume that other people would have to be forced to listen to him. They would have to be made to care about what he had to say, or wanted.

The concept of someone just wanting to know more about him was so surreal that he didn't know what to do with it, and he thought about it, about Takaki's questions and the idea that Takaki might just want to know him for no particular reason other than simply _wanting to._ He thought about it for the next three days, anticipating Takaki's return, really curious as to how it would go. But then the night of the third day rolled around, and Chinen sat up waiting, allowing himself to hope that perhaps tonight Takaki would still want to know him. Allowing himself to think that perhaps Takaki did care about him as a person, and not simply a tool or an object. He waited, until the early hours of the morning, his eyelids growing heavy, his body aching with a need to sleep, but Takaki never showed up.


	5. Chapter 5

Chinen assumed that perhaps Takaki had miscounted the days or something; he wasn't smart, he'd be over within a day or two. But then he didn't show up, and Chinen felt himself getting a bit angry. Takaki didn't usually announce when he would next be stopping by, so one would think that if he was going to go through the effort of doing so, that he would at least show up! Chinen obviously wasn't that interesting or important, if he was going to be so flaky.

But then a week went by, and still Takaki didn't come. Perhaps it was because of their argument. Perhaps he was still angry with Chinen. It wasn't like him to not have come by now. He had never been away for this long before. Ignoring him was pretty childish—wasn't Takaki already sixteen? But he wasn't very mature, Chinen figured. Perhaps he was ignoring him. Or perhaps he had decided that Chinen simply wasn't worth visiting any longer.

By the time two weeks had passed with no sign of Takaki, Chinen was a complete mess. He didn't know what to do. He often found himself thinking that Takaki had probably abandoned him, or _something,_ except that the hotel never kicked him out. The staff still let him come and go as he pleased, smiling politely. So Takaki was still paying for his room. Chinen's initial disappointment had been completely overridden with anger. What the hell was he supposed to do now? What was he supposed to think? How could that idiot do this to him?

But the anger was just a front, covering up the fears. Sure, he barely knew Takaki, and sure, their...relationship...thing...was in a bit of a moral gray area. And sure, the older guy seemed kind of stupid. But he was the only person Chinen knew. He was the reason Chinen was able to take showers in the evenings, and the reason Chinen was sleeping in a bed every night. He had provided Chinen with a place to stay, the money for food, and the clothes on his back. More than all of that though, Takaki had always wanted Chinen, in some manner. He had wanted to kiss him, and hold him. He had wanted to give him these things like the clothes that he was now using in everyday life, just to survive. Chinen hadn't had to trick him into doing it, he had offered. He had wanted to. And now he had made an effort to get to know Chinen. He had asked him about himself, genuine sounding questions, not expecting anything in return except genuine responses.

Chinen didn't really want to admit it, but Takaki was the person in the world that cared the most about him. And if he was truly, brutally honest with himself, the most important person in his world was Takaki. The _only_ person in his world—aside from himself—was Takaki. And now that Takaki was gone he was afraid that the most important person in his world had abandoned him. He was afraid; he was terrified, of being alone again. Because he had learned—through their kissing and touching and fucking—that he truly hated being alone.

May ended and June began and still Takaki was absent. Chinen found himself wandering the streets during the day when he wasn't studying. He was searching for the older boy, hoping that somehow they'd bump into each other. So that he could yell at him. So that he could demand answers. So that he could force him to keep Chinen company. So that Chinen wouldn't have to sit around his room completely alone anymore.

It was nearly two weeks into June when Takaki finally returned. It was the late afternoon, Chinen putting away his textbooks for the day when there was a knock on the door, Chinen's head whipping around at the noise. No one had knocked on the door since the last time Takaki had been by. He felt hope ballooning in his chest, but he refused to acknowledge it, trying to remain skeptical. Instead he found himself walking over to the door and jumping to try and look in the peep hole, unable to reach even when he stood on his tiptoes. He couldn't ever properly see however, and he was in midair when the door was pushed open, the handle jamming into his thigh, his whole body knocked sharply to the floor, and he whined, his skin rubbing harshly against the rug, burning painfully. He looked up, glaring at his intruder, thoroughly aggravated, harsh words waiting on the tip of his tongue. But they died before they could breach his lips, and he stared in shock.

Takaki was standing in the doorframe, his mere presence a surprise in itself. But that wasn't why Chinen was staring. The older teen looked _terrible._ He had greenish yellow rings around his eyes, bruises that had obviously previously been black. He had a gauze bandage wrapped tightly up his left hand past his wrist, and he was muttering curses under his breath, his eyebrows scrunched together. After a moment Chinen scrambled to his feet, his forearms stinging from rug burn, and he took a few strides over to Takaki, motioning for the older boy to lean down a bit, and when he complied smacking him on the face. Chinen was still confused and upset with being left alone for so long, not ready to forget his feelings, despite Takaki's ragged appearance. The older teen stayed silent, and Chinen pouted, crossing his arms and looking up at him through his bangs.

"Where have you been?! What the hell is going on?!" He asked sharply. "What the fuck am I supposed to think when you disappear for nearly a month, you idiot?! Just how stupid are you? Do you know how that made me feel?!" He was properly upset now. He had gotten himself all worked up, but once again the anger was a front. He was so relieved. He was so very relieved to see Takaki again. He hadn't realized just how much he had missed him, but now that the taller boy was standing there in front of him he couldn't help the wash of genuine calm, the easy happiness that engulfed him, chased by a concern for the older boy's condition.

Takaki stepped properly into the room, closing the door behind him, and he said

"I'll explain. I will, but...can I explain lying down? My chest hurts!" He exaggerated his claim by curling in on himself, holding his torso with his right arm. He didn't even wait for Chinen to nod really, kicking off his shoes and walking over to the bed, climbing onto it and gingerly laying down on his back, propping his head up on the pillows. Chinen crawled onto the bed because frankly, he loved beds, and sat up, wrapping the sheets around his shoulders comfortably. Takaki watched him, the bigger boy smiling as Chinen cocooned himself with the blankets, but Chinen frowned, demanding

"Explain. Now." Takaki let out a large exhale, his cheeks puffing up with air before responding.

"I know I haven't been by in a long time—" He started. "—but it's not my fault. I couldn't come. I've been hurt."

"How?" Chinen felt that this explanation was lacking and vague.

"I was in a fight." Takaki announced. "Not that I went looking for a fight." Chinen gave him a skeptical look.

"What?! I was!" Takaki declared. "It was more of a custody battle really. See..." He trailed off, as if trying to figure out how to explain himself. Chinen meanwhile, was thoroughly confused. Takaki wasn't making any sense. "Let me restart." Takaki muttered. Chinen waited, hooked.

"Have you ever heard of the Kitagawa Group?" Takaki asked. Chinen shook his head. Takaki frowned.

"We're a yakuza group." He announced, the 'we' thrown in casually, as if he wasn't divulging sensitive or secretive information in anyway. "This place—" He gestured openly to the room, including the window and the view of the town in his sweep. "—is part of our territory. So anyway, the unit of the Kitagawa group that controls the area is called the Heisei Kumi." He fixed Chinen with a look. "And I'm one of the upper members of the Heisei Kumi." Chinen just blinked back at him, not really processing—or believing—Takaki's words. However in the back of his mind he remembered the night he had beaten up that high school student. The guy had asked if he was a _Kumi boy_—had he been talking about this group that Takaki was claiming to be a part of? Takaki didn't seem to notice Chinen's sidetracked mind, continuing on.

"So we kinda kidnapped this kid from our enemy's base this past December—Yamada-kun—and he's been living with us and he's become a part of the family. But the problem is that the Wakaba Group—that's our enemy's name—they want him back. So the bastards raided our home just a couple of days after I last was here. And we managed to keep Yamada out of harm's way, but those motherfuckers got a couple of us pretty fuckin' good; me included. So I've been stuck in bed for the past few weeks—I was just allowed out of my room and downstairs for the first time a few days ago."

Takaki had been bedridden? If that really was the case then it seemed—if nothing else—a legitimate excuse for his sudden disappearance. Chinen mulled over the older boy's explanation, and as he did Takaki reached out for him, one warm hand cupping Chinen's face, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on Chinen's cheek. He subconsciously leaned into the touch, his eyes fluttering shut, and he enjoyed the feeling of Takaki's warm dry palm and gentle fingers, humming a bit in pleasure. He decided that he did believe Takaki. Why would he lie? But to his surprise he found that he wanted to know more. He wanted to know things about the older teen in the bed next to him.

It had been his absence over the past few weeks, Chinen assumed. What was that phrase? Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Perhaps it was something to that effect that made him scoot closer to Takaki, snuggling up next to him in the bed, the bigger body's presence a huge comfort somehow. And he relished the feeling of Takaki's hands on his skin, just touching, not grabbing or wanting, and he found himself asking

"How did you end up there? In the Heisei Kumi I mean." Takaki looked over at him in surprise, his eyebrows going up, lips pursed. Chinen met his gaze, persisting despite any embarrassment he felt at showing his change of heart. But after a moment of Chinen's best pouting, Takaki gave in and launched into his story.

"My mom had me when she was really young. She was probably too young to really have kids, and she was all alone. But she had me anyway, and she always worked hard to make sure I had everything I could need or want. We were really poor, and she had dropped out of school when I was born, so she couldn't get a good job with a company or anything. She did her best, and the highest paying thing a girl her age, in her desperate situation was prostitution." Chinen felt his breath hitch in his chest a bit at that. He didn't know what he had been expecting, but this story wasn't it. But Takaki wasn't finished.

"So for as long as I could remember that was what she did. When I was little I didn't understand it; I always was aware of sex. I knew what she did. But I was too young to realize that being a prostitute was different from being a nurse or a teacher or a cook like the other kids in school's parents. I was naive to our situation—to how poor we were, to how taxing my mother's job was, to the fact that our living situation was so different, so much more desperate than my peers—all the way up until I started middle school.

"Once I realized my mother's situation, I wanted to be able to lessen her burden. She always was stressed. My whole life she was very stressed about everything, and I wanted to figure out how to make it easier on her. I wasn't good in school; I didn't stand a chance of getting into a good high school or university. Not that I wanted to. I wasn't very interested in school. It might have been a stupid decision, but I decided that the best way to lift her burdens was to leave home."

He paused, as if realizing just how long he'd been talking for, but Chinen was enthralled, and he motioned for Takaki to continue, curling in closer to his side. At the movement on Chinen's part, Takaki winced, as if in pain, but he pushed his eyebrows in close to each other, his forehead wrinkling as he thought. After a moment he continued his story.

"I figured that with one less mouth to feed, one less body to clothe and wash and take to the doctor and look after she could find a day job that would be good enough to support her own expenses, so she could quit her night job. So a few weeks before I was set to graduate from middle school I ran away from home and set out on my own. I figured I could look after myself; I already knew one way young, beautiful people could make a lot of money—the same way my mom had."

"I got good at finding women that would pay me for all sorts of things at night. And during the day I got good at pick pocketing. I traveled, hopping from town to town, staying the night mostly in love hotels. It was cheap, and there was always a bed. Probably a lot like you, Chinen-kun." He said, a tender look in his eyes that spoke of a sincere understanding that threw Chinen off guard. But after a moment Takaki finished his tale.

"At some point my travel brought me here, and I heard, through hints and whispers about the Kumi. I heard it was a place for boys with nowhere else to go. I heard that I could have something that after my months of traveling sounded ideal, and I sought out a few underlings, gathering information and coming up with my own idiotic plan to get a place among these boys. I had heard that the best place was this _home,_ where the boss and his strongest fighters all lived together, and so I figured that all I needed to do was somehow beat one of these strongest fighters." He started chuckling to himself at the memory, looking down embarrassedly.

"I was really stupid. I took a knife off of a stranger and after hunting down the Kumi's top boys, I attacked one of them. Taiyo. I don't know what I was thinking; the others retaliated before I could do anything, beating me up for hurting their companion. But when they took me back to the boss—after they'd patched up the guy I'd shanked—I thought I was dead meat, but the guy was amazingly understanding of my situation. He took me in, and in turn so did everybody else. I've been with them ever since."

After Takaki finished a silence settled over them, Chinen's mind reeling with all of the fresh information. But Takaki was looking over at him expectantly, as if hoping for some response. So Chinen tilted his head up at the older boy, grinning, and he said

"You're really an idiot." Takaki chuckled, one hand covering his mouth as he laughed, and he said

"I really am."


	6. Chapter 6

It was really strange to be laying there next to Takaki, talking. All of their previous interactions had kept any words shared between them at a minimal, save for Takaki's sudden attempt to supposedly 'get to know' Chinen about a month before. It wasn't necessarily bad, but Chinen was kind of uncomfortable, not sure what to do. And when they fell into a silence he shifted, putting a hand on Takaki's chest and leaning in to kiss him; to initiate their usual more physical interactions. But Takaki cursed, the words coming out in a yelp like a hurt dog, his whole face wrenching up in pain as Chinen put weight down on the older teen's body. He jerked back at once, the noise startling him, and Takaki hissed, taking a few quick shallow breaths, pain still written on his face.

"I—um..." Chinen wasn't really going to apologize; he hadn't done anything wrong as far as he was aware. But Takaki didn't seem to want an apology, he himself sounding rather sorry as he muttered

"I kinda cracked my ribs." He let his eyes flutter shut until the pain subsided, and once he finally opened them again he explained. "It was the Wakaba. It's the first time they've managed to break them. They're pretty much better, but heavy pressure...it hurts." Chinen carefully lifted the hem of Takaki's shirt, peeking under it to see that the older teen had bandages binding his chest, wrapping around under his arms all the way down to his belly button. He sat up, suddenly conscious of any physical contact, as if any brush of their skin could bring pain to his bedmate.

What were they going to do now? What was their relationship—so purely physical, so one dimensional in that their views of each other had been so limited before—going to be? He felt like he was floundering, because what was he going to do if not fuck Takaki? How was he supposed to act, supposed to feel, supposed to _be_ around the older teen? Their position, with Takaki having just opened up a piece of himself to Chinen, was already evolving into something new. He didn't know what it was, and it scared him immensely. His hands were twisting in the sheets, fiddling with the edge, and he found himself without words, his tongue too big for his mouth.

Takaki gestured for Chinen to come closer. He had that look in his eyes, the one that pretty much always preceded sex. The one he was used to. "Kiss me Chinen." The older teen said, and Chinen raised up on his knees, leaning in and straddling the older boy, his hands on either side of Takaki's head to hold himself over top of his companion without putting pressure on him. It was strange to be on top of him like this, and for a moment Chinen paused, looking at Takaki's face, because it looked different from this angle. Everything about him was just a bit different than Chinen remembered it seemed. But the older boy started to blush under his gaze, and then to Chinen's utter amazement he started to fucking _giggle,_ and completely unprepared to handle that, he scoffed and rolled his eyes before pressing their lips together tentatively.

Somehow it was different than all of their previous kisses. Perhaps it was that Takaki was still kind of laughing. Perhaps it was that usually Takaki was the one on top, the one enveloping his much smaller frame with his warm body. Perhaps it was because of their talk earlier. Regardless of the actual cause, it seemed to Chinen calmer than previous kisses. It was more measured and he didn't feel swept away in Takaki's big hands and hot chest. And even as the kissing evolved into proper foreplay, and then as he straddled the older boy's hips and took him inside of his body it never lost the new, different quality.

He was the one in charge. Takaki was responsive, he brushed Chinen's bangs out of his eyes, and would pull Chinen closer so that he could kiss him, one hand slowly pumping Chinen's erection as he rode him, but he never made a move to take control of their interaction, allowing Chinen to do as he pleased. Whether it was due to his injury or something else entirely Chinen didn't know, but he relished the feeling of complete power that washed over him. He was being trusted to make decisions. Takaki was trusting him, believing in his opinions, or at least he was open to what Chinen wanted, and Chinen loved that he got to decide what was happening. He felt strong and confident, and perhaps even a little bit _happy,_ and after they had both come and the mess had been cleaned up he snuggled into Takaki's side, and the strong loneliness that he had been battling in the older teen's absence was completely tossed aside for a contentment that rivaled any he had ever felt before.

"Want to go out for lunch tomorrow?" Takaki asked suddenly, and Chinen had to take a moment to process the question, already falling asleep, curled up under the bigger boy's arm, the duvet pulled up over the both of them.

"Sure. If you pay. And it’s not ramen." He muttered, and he felt Takaki's whole body shake with laughter at his response. He felt the older boy's abdomen clench up and his muscles tense as he laughed, and Chinen squirmed, trying to get into a more comfortable position for sleep so that he wouldn't be jostled.

"Okay." Takaki agreed, one hand gently brushing Chinen's now immensely overgrown bangs from his forehead, and Chinen just nodded and tucked his nose into the crook of his bedmate's elbow, falling asleep in moments.

Chinen didn't remember waking up when Takaki left, but he figures he must have because the next morning—or by that point it was nearly afternoon really—he finds himself in a new position, the duvet tucked up around him as if he was a small child. Which he supposed he was; technically. If only in stature. He allowed himself to lay there enveloped in the warmth of the blankets, and he was trying to gauge how much time he had before his lunch with Takaki when the older teen tentatively pushed the door open, letting himself in. Chinen groaned at the sight of him, not quite ready or willing to get up, and he burrowed farther into his duvet, Takaki spotting him and grinning, sheepishly walking over to the bed and sitting down on the edge. After a moment of silence—in which Chinen rolled onto his side, his knees pressed up against Takaki's back—the older boy said

"So...when were you planning on getting up?"

"Ugh...shut up." He muttered, and the older teen just giggled, pausing a moment, obviously in thought, before saying

"If you go back to sleep then I'm making you buy dessert." Chinen sat up abruptly, feeling slightly dizzy as the blood rushed out of his head, but he had to ask

"There's dessert?"

"Sure. If you still want to go." Takaki affirmed, poking at Chinen's blanket clad side. That was all the motivation he needed, and he threw his tiny legs over the side of the mattress, sliding off the edge until his feet hit the floor, and he pitter-pattered around the hotel room, throwing on clothes and running his hands through his hair, and Takaki just watched and waited patiently until Chinen was finished before standing and walking over to the door, his large hand outstretched, open and waiting for Chinen to take. "Let's go." He said, that stupid, overly happy smile on his face. Tentatively, Chinen wrapped his hand around the older teen's, squeezing tight, and they left the hotel and went out into the world together for the first time.

It was weird but nice to walk out in the daylight, holding Takaki's hand and letting the older boy lead him to an unnamed restaurant for lunch. Chinen had never had anyone so openly display any affection for him before, and he felt rather self conscious, to his own surprise, staying silent the whole way there. Takaki led him through the streets, past shops and cafes and fast food places to a tiny diner farther out than Chinen had ever cared to wander before. It was full of foreign, western style foods, and they got a booth, Takaki opening Chinen's menu for him and saying

"These—" the older boy pointed to a good seven or eight things on the menu in turn "—are some of my favorites, but most everything here is good." Chinen nodded, quietly considering the menu for a while, but when it came time to order his food he just ended up asking for the same thing Takaki gets, and once their waiter is gone an awkward silence settled in between them and he found himself saying

"So, what brought this lunch about, Takaki-kun?" The older boy glanced across the table at him, releasing his drink straw from between his lips and shrugging.

"Shoon brought to my attention that you were still growing and needed proper nutrition. I figured all that instant ramen you eat probably doesn't have much nutritional value. Perhaps that's why you're so tiny Chinen-kun. You need to eat better so that you can grow." Chinen nodded, rather surprised. He wasn't really sure what response he had been expecting, but concern over his health was not it. He hadn't thought the older boy cared enough about him to worry about his physical state much, if at all. Perhaps there was something to Takaki's theory on his nutrition. But he now had a new question.

"Who's Shoon?"

"Oh he's my...well..."Takaki seemed to be thinking very seriously about Chinen's question, his lips pursed, brow furrowed.”He's the Kumi-cho. So you know how yesterday I told you about how I'm part of the Kitagawa Group, and more specifically I'm a part of the Heisei Kumi; which is the part of the group that controls this area?" He paused, and Chinen nodded, gesturing for him to continue. "Well Shoon is the top guy in the Heisei Kumi. He's like the boss. He decides when to fight and when to retreat. His word is our law."

He stopped talking as the waiter brought them their food. Takaki seemed to be struggling to get his thoughts out, quickly adding

"But he's more than that! He is the oldest in our house. He looks out for us. He teaches us how to fight and he patches us up when we get hurt. He took me in and he cares a lot about each of us. He's the closest thing I've ever had to a father...or maybe an older brother might be a better comparison." Chinen nodded, trying to understand Takaki's living situation as the older boy dug into his meal, some barbecue type thing that he seemed to be enjoying immensely.

"So...just how many of you are there?" Chinen asked, finally starting in on his own plate. Everything was piping hot, but it was positively _amazing_ not to be eating instant ramen, and he found himself sighing in approval at just how delicious the food was. Takaki swallowed his bite, trying to answer his latest question.

"In the Kumi? I don't know. Maybe hundreds? I don't really pay much attention to the underlings. But I live with..." He started listing off unfamiliar names, counting on his fingers as he did so. "Shoon, obviously. And Yabu, Hikaru, Taiyo, Yuto, Daiki, Inoo, and Yamada. So in the house there are nine of us, including me." As Takaki had been talking Chinen had been eating, reveling in the tastes of real meat. He was interrupted when Takaki asked "But what about your family, Chinen-kun?" Chinen blinked in surprise, looking up at his companion, swallowing and saying

"What about it? We weren't talking about family." Takaki frowned, flicking his overgrown bangs out of his eyes.

"Yes we were. Those guys are my family. I've told you a lot about myself. It's your turn to talk." He looked a little annoyed at Chinen's protests, but the older teen paused, leaning across the table and wiping some sauce from Chinen's chin, his thumb rough, yet somehow the action was caring. Chinen huffed, his little chest rising and falling quickly with the action, but he agreed.

He goes on to tell Takaki about how his parents were rather well off, his father well known in the world of acrobatics, and his mother a once talented dancer. He tells him about how his parents were both miserable in their marriage, but how neither would ask for a divorce. He told the older boy about how he did have a sibling—a big sister—but she lived with their aunt and he'd only met her a handful of times. He talked about how his parents refused to have anything to do with him. He told Takaki how wholly unimportant he was in the lives of his family members, how meaningless his existence had been since he could remember. He explained all of this, and then ended it with a simple

"So I ran away." He felt extremely self conscious with how much he'd been talking. How much he'd been _sharing_ with Takaki, and he averted his eyes, shoving food into his mouth. Takaki was staring at him, his meal forgotten, and after a moment he too looked down at his now nearly empty plate, saying

"I'd thought we were the same, since we both are runaways, but we're really not, are we Chinen-kun?" Chinen found himself getting upset. Takaki was right; they weren't alike at all really. He remembered when they had first properly talked, the day after they had met, how as soon as Takaki had heard that he had run away he'd immediately grown more sympathetic, offering to rent Chinen out the hotel room. Had everything he'd done up to this point been because the older teen had assumed that they were alike?

And now that he knew that they truly weren't he had no reason to be interested in Chinen anymore. Now that he knew that they really had almost nothing in common, he would cease caring about him, and once again Chinen would mean nothing. But just as he was thinking these things, Takaki said "You're really brave, to make that decision for yourself. I know I'm not strong enough to do that." Chinen looked up at him in surprise. "It's kind of amazing." He announced, a smile breaking out on his face. Chinen just sat there, surprised and not sure of what to do. He hadn't been expecting that reaction at all. But he liked the way that Takaki was looking at him, the affection in the older teen's eyes, and so he smiled back, before shoveling more of his lunch into his mouth.

Thankfully, after that Takaki didn't pester Chinen for any more information, instead talking about anything from the weather to his favorite fruit. They finished their lunches in minutes, and Takaki took Chinen's hand and led him back out into town. The two of them garnered a lot of stares, and even more intentionally averted eyes, Takaki's bruises an obvious indication of his lifestyle. Chinen wasn't used to so much attention, but Takaki didn't seem to notice it at all, and he was not surprised in the slightest when the vendor they got their ice cream from told them it was on the house, before Takaki even reached for his wallet, his tone overly polite, eyes cautious.

Chinen licked his ice cream happily, letting go of Takaki's hand to hold the cone, and as they walked he found himself chatting eagerly with Takaki, smiling and laughing. It grew to be late afternoon, the sun hot on his skin and bright in his eyes, and after he had finished his treat Takaki took his hand again, swinging their interlocked fingers. They went to that park where Chinen had beaten up those high school bullies, and Takaki pushed Chinen on the swing, and as he swung Chinen wondered if this, this feeling of being welcome and cared for was what love felt like. Because it was the best he could ever remember feeling.


	7. Chapter 7

And it was with this contemplation about love in mind that when they got back to the hotel Chinen pulled Takaki onto the bed, kissing him and wrapping his little legs around Takaki's waist, trying to convey just how wonderful the day had been, trying to show Takaki just how happy he was, with his lips. Takaki responded in kind, and soon the older teen was pulling away from him to search the bedside table for lube and condoms, and Chinen whined a little, hooking one arm around Takaki's neck and arching up off the bed so that their bodies pressed together, and he groaned out

"Takaki-kun..." Takaki leaned in, nearly smothering Chinen with his weight as he kissed him, and the older teen said

"Call me Yuya." Chinen looked up at him in surprise, but Takaki was looking right back at him with conviction in his eyes, so Chinen tried it, saying

"Yuya—n!" The word came out mangled at the end, Takaki having scooped him up and rolled over, switching their positions just as he'd gone to speak. Takaki giggled, looking up at him, his hair a mess on the pillow, and he asked

"Yuyan?" Embarrassed, and not used to being teased, Chinen pursed his lips, flicking his bangs out of his eyes, and he said

"Oh, shut up." He paused, hovering on the cusp of indecision for a moment, before deciding what the hell, and he tacked on "Yuyan."

After the sex, Chinen was curled up squished against Takaki's chest, fitting as much of himself as he could up against the older boy, Takaki's arms wrapped around his shoulders, when Takaki sighed, glancing toward the window out at the sky where night had fallen.

"I have to get home. Hikaru said he needs me to help him teach the little ones how to play poker tonight; it's going to take ages. I don't know why he doesn't just get Yabu and Taiyo to help him. I mean, they're both terrible bluffers, but..." He trailed off, instead letting a sigh escape his lips. After another few minutes the older teen stood up and got redressed, giving Chinen a kiss on the cheek and promising to be back soon.

This time, as promised Takaki did return, and from that point on Chinen saw the older boy at least three times a week. He'd show up at any time of the day or night, content to just lie around and talk, always willing to treat Chinen to a meal. Despite him being around so much more than before, Chinen found that now that they were getting to know each other, and spending their time doing other things, they were actually having less sex than previously. Although he didn't understand it, Chinen liked it. He liked spending time with Takaki, liked having something to do aside from study.

It was at the end of June when Chinen asked Takaki why the older boy was so eager to just wander the streets and waste time with him. They had been on a mission to find a birthday present for one of Takaki's housemates, some boy called Inoo that according to Takaki only liked the piano and another boy called Daiki. But as they could give him neither a piano or a person, they were having a hard time picking a gift, Chinen losing interest and letting his thoughts wander, contemplating why Takaki had wanted to bring him along on this excursion, when he was obviously no help at all.

"Yuyan, why do you spend time with me?" Takaki looked away from the big floppy hat he'd been examining, eyebrows sharply scrunched together at the question.

"What?"

"Well, it's just...what are you getting out of this? When we're not fucking, I mean." Takaki's expression was almost angry Chinen realized, when he looked up at him, but he was completely serious. Takaki huffed, as if frustrated with the question, but then he brushed Chinen's bangs out of his eyes and said

"Chii, I spend time with you because I like to be around you. Because I like you for you, not just because of the sex—although that's great too. I hang out with you because we're friends, and that's what friends do." His voice was serious and honest, and Chinen nodded, as Takaki smiled and scooped him up into a big hug. Chinen accepted Takaki's answer readily, happily, yet in the weeks to follow he would contemplate if this attachment he felt to Takaki was simply friendship and nothing more. He'd never felt attached to anyone before in his life and he couldn't help but think that perhaps this feeling was more than friendship. That perhaps this was what love was.

Time flies by and the days get hotter, and as consequence Takaki starts visiting later, taking Chinen out once the sun starts to go down. They wander the streets and watch everyone else returning to their homes, and as they walk Takaki tells Chinen all about his housemates. He tells him about how Yuto challenged Taiyo for his prized top bunk and just ended up with a black eye, and how Daiki beat Yabu at chess, and about how glad he is that the next birthday they're celebrating isn't until August, because he hates having to pick out presents.

It's during one of these conversations in mid-July when they get attacked. The sun had finally set, the night bringing with it cooler temperatures and a slight breeze, and they had wandered down into town, taking alleys so as to avoid the general population, people Takaki referred to as _'katagi'._ Takaki was laughing about something Chinen had said, and Chinen was looking up at him, watching him in the moonlight when suddenly the older teen froze, the smile sliding off of his face, his eyes latching onto something ahead of them. Chinen turned his attention to their path, looking out to see just what it was that had made Takaki so serious. It was three boys, all of them bigger and obviously older than himself, and they had been leaning up against the outside wall of a convenience store, talking quietly amongst themselves. The unfamiliar boys seemed to notice them at the same time Chinen spotted them, and they pushed off of the wall, getting to their feet. Takaki cursed.

"Chii, run." He muttered. Chinen looked up at him, confused. "These fuckers are bad news. Get out of here." Takaki's words were sharp, but his eyes were wide and slightly fearful, and Chinen's gaze flicked back to the group blocking their path, understanding now that everyone was gearing up for a fight. He felt Takaki tense beside him as the menacing group drew closer. "Chinen, what the hell're you doing?! Fucking run!" Takaki said, physically shoving Chinen back the way they had come, not taking his eyes off of their opponents. Chinen heard one of them chuckle, and he looked up to see them pointing at him, and he saw Takaki glance back at him frantically, and in that moment he decided that he wasn't leaving the older boy to get beaten up by these guys. He could handle another fight.

One of the enemies broke away from the other two, running at them, and Takaki braced himself, ready, but Chinen dashed out to meet the guy halfway, barreling right into his stomach before kicking straight up to slam his foot into the underside of the bigger guy's chin, snapping his head back. He arched backwards and to the left, pushing himself into a cartwheel to get to his feet, and as he did so the other two opponents rushed at them, Takaki grabbing one by his collar and slugging him in the face. Chinen felt a foot connect with his back and he stumbled forward, catching his balance and spinning around, swinging his foot out and nailing his assailant in the chest, making him falter.

The first guy lunged at him, wrapping his arms around Chinen's shoulders and lifting him in the air, but Chinen curled up, folding himself in half and wrapping his legs around his captor's neck tightly, the bigger guy letting out an enraged yell of surprise and reaching up to pull him away. Chinen hung there by his ankles, suspended around the guy's neck, and he rammed an elbow into his stomach, causing them both to go crashing to the pavement. He scrambled to his knees, crawling on top of the guy while he was still disoriented. He took the guy's head in his little hands, ramming his opponent's skull into the pavement a few times, before he felt another strong pair of arms yank him up, the person they were connected to muttering a string of shocked sounding curses.

As he was lifted he caught sight of Takaki, his companion taking a punch to his gut, doubling over with the force of it. Chinen was forced around to face his attacker, a punch landing on his jaw, the fist large and painful, jarring him. He flipped backwards out away from that guy, onto his hands before kicking out, catching the guy's throat with his foot. The guy made a horrible wet sucking noise, doubling over, and Chinen flipped back into his feet, kicking the backs of his knees and making his enemy fall to the pavement so that he was kneeling down, and he kneed him a few times in the face before turning away.

He immediately saw that Takaki's opponent was also down, Takaki giving the guy one last kick to the ribs before meeting Chinen's eyes, and the two of them took off, Takaki grabbing Chinen's hand as they ran, practically dragging him along so that he didn't fall behind. They left their assailants there in the alley, broken and thoroughly beaten, but they didn't go far—just a few streets over—before Takaki stopped, one hand on his chest as he caught his breath.

"What the hell was that back there?!"

"What?" Chinen wasn't sure what it was exactly that Takaki was referring to. Was it the attackers; because if so Chinen had no idea who those people were.

"Fuck—" Takaki stood, looking Chinen over in the light of a nearby street lamp. "—are you okay?" Chinen nodded. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he had taken a few hits, his jaw pulsating a bit where that second guy had punched him, but he was fine. Takaki shook his head in disbelief. "You destroyed those guys."

"I've learned gymnastics pretty much my whole life." Chinen explained, looking up at Takaki and grinning. "It's helped me a couple of times, when I've been bullied."

"That was amazing." Takaki declared, and Chinen reached up for the older boy's face, pulling him down for a kiss, and Takaki wrapped his arms around Chinen's waist, picking him up and kissing him again, trailing the kisses down his neck and burying his nose in Chinen's chest. Chinen just held on until Takaki pulled away, saying seriously. "I'm just glad you didn't get hurt, you fucking idiot." He set Chinen back down so that his feet were on the pavement. Chinen could see a new thought forming, as Takaki's expression changed, and he scratched at the back of his neck, his fingers playing with his hair, and he said "I've got to report that to the Kumi-cho. He'll want to know that the Wakaba are hanging around in our territory." He looked down apologetically at Chinen. "D'you mind if we just call it a night?"

Chinen found himself agreeing to that. He didn't know what the Wakaba were, but he honestly didn't much care. The adrenaline rush he'd gotten from the fight was wearing off, and in its absence a wave of relief that neither of them was really hurt washed over him so strong that he felt himself feeling weak. He was suddenly exhausted, and eager to get in his bed. So he fell into step next to Takaki and led the way back to the love hotel, Takaki asking him one last time if he was definitely okay before leaving him there at the door, taking off at a slight jog into the night.

Chinen didn't hear from Takaki for two days after that, the older teen bursting into his room way to early one morning and shaking him awake. Chinen was thoroughly pissed at being woken up so abruptly, without due warning or any attempt at gentleness, and he kicked out at Takaki, nailing the older boy in the shoulder with his foot before curling back into the blankets, burying himself in them. He attempted to ignore the older boy completely, but Takaki was persistent, nagging him and yanking on his pillow and insisting that he wake up. Eventually Chinen just shot up to a sitting position, saying sharply

"What the hell could possibly so important that you have to be this obnoxious, Yuyan?!" Takaki seemed taken aback by Chinen's anger, freezing for a second, before sitting on the edge of the bed, looking like a puppy that knew its owner would forgive it for whatever wrongs it had done. Then he said

"Listen. So after that fight we got into the other night, I talked to Shoon about the whole thing and I told him how you singlehandedly destroyed those two guys all by yourself. He was really impressed." That got Chinen's attention. Takaki's boss guy, a man in a position of power in the yakuza, found Chinen impressive? Chinen found that despite himself he was no longer angry with Takaki, now simply curious, and he listened attentively as the older boy continued. "So I asked him if you could move in with us, and he's decided that—if you want to—then you've got a spot in our home."

Chinen froze, numb with disbelief at Takaki's words. There was no way this was actually happening. There was no way.

"You're lying." He announced. He hadn't been expecting something like this. He didn't know how to react to this. Takaki just shook his head.

"Nope. I want you to come and live with us. I mean, this was never a permanent living situation. This is no way to live, in a love hotel. And well, you'd be sharing a room with me, but it'd still be a home." Chinen just stared at Takaki, shocked. He'd started to forget the fact that their situation was really a temporary thing, that he would need to find somewhere to truly live. But even so he'd figured that Takaki wouldn't be one to offer a solution. And even if he were, he definitely wouldn't offer _this._

"You want me to go live with you, in your house with your family?"

"Yeah. And it's not just me. Kumi-cho is totally on board with it. And the other boys are fine with it if he is." Chinen just sat there, trying to figure out what these weird feelings in his chest were, as Takaki continued. "The only thing is that by moving in you kinda are joining the Kumi. So you'd be one of us. You'd be part of the family." Chinen nodded, and the two to them fell into silence, Chinen still trying to take all of the information in, when Takaki asked "So....what do you think?" Chinen looked up at him, feeling a little overwhelmed, and he fought with words for a few moments before he squeaked out

"Can you give me a few hours to think about it?" Takaki hopped up off of the bed, nodding and clearing his throat embarrassedly, and he said

"Yeah. Of course. I'll come by tonight, before dinner, and you can tell me then. How's that sound?" Chinen nodded, and rather awkwardly the older teen exited, leaving Chinen sitting there in his bed with a life changing decision in his lap.


	8. Chapter 8

Chinen tried to go through his usual routine; heating himself up some instant ramen for breakfast, showering, pulling out his textbooks and attempting to study, but in the end it was all for naught. The only thing he could think about was Takaki's proposal. He was being offered a home. A place to live. _Permanently._ Takaki had said he'd be a _part of the family. _The fact that Takaki’s leader—someone he hadn't even met— cared enough about him to extend that offer was amazing to him.

Of course, it would mean he'd be surrendering his life to the yakuza. Joining this house would mark him as a criminal in the eyes of the police and the public, and he couldn't make a change to that. To his affiliation with them, in the future. He would probably be in a lot more fights, and he'd have to live with the other boys in Takaki's house, some of which sounded absolutely terrifying through Takaki's descriptions. The yakuza lifestyle wasn't an easy or safe one, and he was still young.

Chinen thought through all of these things, wasting hours on weighing the pros and cons of Takaki's offer. Yet when Takaki came back by, as the sun was setting, he already knew what his answer was. He couldn't have picked any other answer. So when the older boy entered the room, he looked up into his expectant face, and just said

"Yes." Takaki blinked, and then his eyes crinkled in a smile, and he was obviously trying to stay cool as his lips twitched holding in the grin, and he said

"Alright. I'll have to let the Kumi know. I'll need to get some furniture for you, but our room should be ready...how's the day after tomorrow?" Chinen nodded, also trying to be nonchalant, but then Takaki pulled him in for a hot kiss, breaking the act.

He scooped Chinen up, holding him up against the wall as their bodies moved against each other, and it wasn't long before Chinen felt him working to undo their pants, and the whole thing was rushed and impatient, and he felt Takaki's breath hot on his skin, the older boy moaning as he finally pushed into Chinen's body. Chinen placed kisses on his cheeks and down his neck as Takaki thrust into him, sandwiched up against the wall. And once the older boy had come he set Chinen down and got down on his knees, taking his erection into his mouth, sucking him off expertly. It was only once they were both fully clothed and cleaned up that Takaki spoke again.

"You're going to love it there Chii." He said, and Chinen smiled, nodding, and then with a small wave and a big smile Takaki left, and Chinen looked around at his hotel room, at the bed and the bedside table full of sex toys, and at the glass shower, and the little tea set he used to make his ramen cups. In two days he would be leaving this place. He'd be leaving, but he'd be going to a new, more exciting place. He'd be going to a _home._ He felt his smile grow, an anticipation rising in his chest, and he took a few quick steps and leaped, soaring through the air onto his bed, and he rolled around on it, laughing. He'd done it. Somehow, he'd made it on his own. He'd changed his life, and he'd found happiness.

The next two days flew by, an excited buzzing in Chinen's chest. He went out and bought a suitcase using the last of the money Takaki had given him the first night they'd met, packing every item of clothing Takaki had given him into it, along with the personal hygiene items he'd gotten himself, his toothbrush and comb. He looked distastefully over at his little mountain of instant ramen cups, thankful that he wasn't going to be consuming many more of them. Just four...three...two more. Then finally, on the evening of the second day, there was a knock on the hotel room door, and Chinen opened it to see Takaki standing there, a similar anticipation smattered across his face, and the older teen said

"So, you ready?" Chinen grabbed at the handle of his suitcase, giving his friend a pointed look, and Takaki smiled, offering his hand much like he had a month previously the first time they'd gone out together, and Chinen took it, squeezing the bigger palm tightly, as Takaki said "Let's go."

Takaki led him out of the hotel and into the street, the sun just then beginning to set, painting the sky in reds and golds, and the longer they walked, the more nervous Chinen got. He was nervous about meeting Takaki's—his—new housemates. He had heard about them from Takaki, but the information he had received only made him all the more nervous, and his grip on Takaki's hand got tighter and tighter as they passed through the town and into the maze of abandoned buildings hedging off the sea. It was once they were alone amongst the buildings that Takaki spoke, asking suddenly, as if just remembering

"Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"No..." Chinen realized, wondering if that was a mistake. Wondering if he'd go hungry tonight because of his own stupidity. But Takaki let out a breath and smiled.

"Good. Dinner was just about done cooking when I left to get you." He pointed, out into the semidarkness that dusk brought on. "It's right around here." They turned a corner, and then suddenly they were there. Chinen stopped, looking up at the door. It was metal, painted an indistinct red, chipping a bit around the knob and edges. It was preluded by three steep concrete steps, a metal hand bar running along them up to the door, glinting suddenly as the street lamp in the alley flickered on, bathing them in yellow light. The silence was deafening, his heart pounding in his chest, and Takaki reached down, taking his suitcase for him, and they breached the stairs, Takaki brushing his bangs out of his eyes for him one last time before pushing open the door and yelling abruptly

"We're home!" They stepped across the threshold, and Chinen found himself immediately immersed in a warm light and the sound of eager conversation. He kept close to Takaki's side as the older boy pushed the door shut, closing them in. Immediately his eyes zipped around the area. They had entered into a living space, couches circling a long coffee table. Almost directly in front of them a staircase rose up to the second part of the house, and to their right the space extended into a kitchen and dining area, a huge, long wooden table the nucleus, and it was in that space that all of the house's occupants were. Boys were bustling through the room, squeezing around each other as they worked to get the table set and ready for the meal Chinen could smell proof of in the air. At Takaki's announcement some waved, and one or two loud welcomes were yelled across the space, making Takaki smile. One boy broke away from the group, coming over to greet them.

As he approached, Takaki stood just a little straighter, and Chinen immediately knew who this boy must be. He had to be the leader. He was obviously the oldest person in the house, his bare torso filled out and muscular, developed beyond even Takaki's. Despite that he was noticeably shorter than Takaki, and while he seemed tall to Chinen, he realized that the boy was probably short for his age. The most striking qualities about the boy were his scars and his eyes. His suntanned chest was _littered_ in scars; long, raised, pink, shiny strips running along his skin, some of them faded and obviously old, others dark and brand new. His eyes were large; not disproportionate, but wide. And when the boy turned those wide eyes down to gaze on Chinen he felt that this young man was _aware._

This young man knew. He knew everything. He knew everything about Chinen, about Takaki, about the rest of the boys behind him in the kitchen. He knew the good and the bad, and when he smiled down at Chinen, Chinen felt that while the older boy was aware of everything about him, he had decided to accept him. That feeling was awe inspiring, and Chinen understood suddenly why this boy was the leader. Chinen looked up into this young man's knowing eyes, and the young man said

"Welcome, Chinen-kun. I'm Yamashita Shoon, the Kumi-cho for this branch of the Kitagawa Group." Chinen found himself nodding mutely, and Shoon's smile grew larger. "I hope you're hungry; we've already set a place at the table for you." Chinen nodded, and Takaki slung an arm around his shoulders, a smile on his face as the older teen said

"He's not ordinarily this quiet, Kumi-cho. He's just pretending to be shy." Chinen sent an indignant glance up at his friend, not saying anything. But Shoon didn't seem to mind, just gesturing to the table and saying

"Chinen-kun, please come with me. We should be about ready to eat." He glanced back up at Takaki. "Takaki, if you could take his things to your room." Chinen didn't want Takaki to go, but the slightly frantic look he knew he had in his eyes was ignored, and his companion took his suitcase and parted from them, embarking up the stairs and leaving Chinen alone. Shoon turned to lead Chinen into the kitchen, and Chinen gasped, one hand quickly coming up to cover his mouth. The older boy had the beginnings of a huge tattoo on his back, black ink outlining a small town being looked over by a huge sun. The sun and sky were partially colored, the artwork obviously still in the process of being completed. Shoon just glanced over his shoulder at him, and embarrassed, Chinen averted his eyes.

He followed behind the Kumi-cho into the kitchen—still trying not to stare at the monstrous tattoo—when he ran straight into a body, his heart leaping in his throat when he looked up to see who he'd run into. The boy was _huge._ He towered over Chinen, Chinen's head right at his waist, and he blinked down at Chinen in mild surprise. Chinen was in the process of working up the courage to speak to this terrifyingly large guy when one of the other boys called out to him, saying

"Taiyo don't run him over, you fucking skyscraper! Takaki will kill you!" The huge boy looked up, frowning at the person who'd teased him, saying

"Don't be mean, Inoo!" He grinned, looking back down at Chinen. "Besides, look at this kid! He's so cute and tiny; I just want to hug him!" Chinen didn't know what to make of any of this, but the other boy said

"Yeah, that's not the smartest idea. Daiki's cute and tiny, but you know better than to try and hug him." Shoon smiled, putting a hand on Taiyo's shoulder, and he added to that argument, saying

"Takaki said that Chinen-kun beat up two Wakaba members by himself, Taiyo." Taiyo took a slow step backwards away from Chinen, slightly wary, as if he would suddenly snap. Chinen just stood there as they talked about him, blinking up at all of the boys. A quick scan showed that while there were others that were small, he was definitely the smallest. One of the other, smaller boys bounced up to Shoon, whining slightly as he asked

"Can we eat now Kumi-cho? I'm _so_ hungry!" He drew out the last phrase as long as possible, tilting his head back as he spoke, to emphasize his point.

"Don't be a brat, Yuto." Shoon said sternly, causing the boy to snap his head up, back straight, and he immediately averted his eyes, nodding apologetically. But Shoon smiled, putting a gentle hand on the younger boy's head, and he said "Sure, let's eat." The boy broke out in a grin, and at the Kumi-cho's announcement everyone immediately gravitated toward the table, the sounds of chairs being dragged across the floor and excited chatter filling the room. To Chinen's relief it was at that moment that Takaki decided to reappear, Chinen breaching the distance between them and grabbing Takaki's hand, sending the older boy a sharp look that he hoped conveyed how much he'd hated being left down here all on his own with all of these strangers.

Takaki led him to an empty chair right next to the head of the table, indicating with a gesture that it was his, and the older boy waited for Chinen to sit before letting go of his hand, skirting around the edge of the table and taking the seat opposite Chinen's own, smiling at him across their plates. Chinen pursed his lips, not saying anything, and Shoon plopped down in the seat to his right at the head of the table, a boy Chinen had yet to meet slipping into the one on his left. One of the boys moved to start serving himself food, but Shoon let out a noise of dissent and the kid stopped, settling into his seat and waiting expectantly.

"Introductions are in order." Shoon declared. "Inoo, you can start, and we'll go around the table." He gestured in a counter-clockwise circular motion to indicate the direction around the table the boys would introduce themselves, and Chinen turned to the rest of the table, eyes sweeping over the unfamiliar faces. It was the boy to Chinen's immediate left that spoke first, turning to Chinen and introducing himself as Inoo Kei.

Chinen didn't understand how Takaki could have ever mistaken him for a girl if he lived with Inoo Kei. Inoo was delicate looking, with long dainty fingers and arms, and a thin neck. His black hair fell around his cute face, his eyelashes long and thick, contrasting beautifully against his pale skin. His voice held a cute flirtatious lit to it, and when he talked he automatically seemed to smile, his eyes twinkling with some unspoken mischief. He seemed to Chinen a cute and feminine 'pretty boy', but then Chinen realized that despite that, Inoo was _here_ in this house, full of fierce fighters and tough warriors, and he was reminded a bit of himself. He was reminded of the way his opponents always would underestimate him because of his appearance, and he decided that he would not underestimate Inoo, or any one of these boys, regardless of how they looked or acted.

That resolve was made easy when the next boy introduced himself. Arioka Daiki was thoroughly intimidating. He was smaller than Inoo, but where Inoo was all slender, Daiki was built. He wasn't thick in any way, but despite his clothes Chinen could tell this kid was pure muscle, his whole body tense, as if he was prepared for a fight. The way he looked at Chinen, with nothing in his eyes, was harsh and unfeeling and so _cold_ that it sent a physical shiver down Chinen's spine. Daiki's self introduction was short and to the point, and it was only once Inoo put a hand on his shoulder that the boy seemed calm. Or at least, more calm than before.

In comparison to that boy, the next seemed much more welcoming. Yabu Kota was long and lanky, and he had tiny little eyes that twinkled in the light and seemed to nearly disappear when he smiled at Chinen. He had a few scars running up his thin arms, but not nearly as many as the boy sitting next to him. Yaotome Hikaru—as Chinen came to find his name was—was sitting at the other head of the table across from the Kumi-cho's seat. His muscular arms were scarred like his companions, but while his left just held a few laceration marks, his right arm was littered with little discolored pockmarks on the inside, most of them running along where Chinen knew his vein must be. Chinen's chest felt tight, as he realized that only one thing could cause scars like that—drug use. He looked into the boy's eyes, but Hikaru just looked back and smiled reassuringly, and Chinen didn't really know _what_ to think. He resolved to ask Takaki later.

On Hikaru's other side sat the immensely tall kid Chinen had bumped into; Ayukawa Taiyo. And then on Taiyo's right was a boy much younger looking than the others he'd been introduced to. The kid declared that his name was Nakajima Yuto, and he smiled grandly at Chinen, informing him that they were actually the same age—although his birthday was in less than a month. In the end he seemed to be the most carefree of the group, and Chinen attempted to smile back at him, his nerves making the action a little difficult.

The next boy was the last new face, seated between Takaki and Yuto. He seemed to be just as wary of Chinen as Chinen was of him. He was small—barely bigger than Chinen himself—and rather thin. He would have seemed harmless, if not for the full sized sword he had strapped to his back. He was introduced by Yuto first as Yama-chan, the boy correcting Yuto and introducing himself as Yamada Ryosuke. Yuto smiled at his companion, slinging an arm over Yamada's shoulders, and Yamada sent Yuto an affectionate glance. Shoon seemed content with the introductions, and with that they all dug into their meal.

Dinner was a loud affair. Chinen himself remained quiet, just listening and observing as the other boys all interacted. They all talked enthusiastically about the events of their day, and their thoughts. They teased each other too, the tall one—Taiyo, Chinen reminded himself—getting the brunt of the teasing; although Takaki made a remark about Daiki's height that had the littler boy cursing and lunging across the table, fists swinging as Takaki and Yuto giggled slightly hysterically.

The three boys on the end—Yabu, Hikaru, and Taiyo—were obviously extremely close, often going off on their own tangents and having to be brought back into the group conversation. Hikaru—the one with the suspicious scars—seemed to be the mood setter. He made the funniest facial expressions, his stories snarky, well phrased and full of life. Despite the slang and harsh words that fell from the boys’ lips, and the random outbursts of violence from Daiki, Chinen felt that these kids obviously were a unified group. A family, as Takaki had put it to him before. Occasionally he'd look across the table, and Takaki would always be smiling at him, an excitement and happiness in the older boy's eyes that made Chinen feel like this would all work out. That this would turn into something great.


	9. Chapter 9

After dinner, three of the boys were designated to clean up the kitchen and do the dishes, and the rest continued their conversation in the living room, sprawled out on couches. Chinen too moved to the living room, and he curled up in Takaki's lap. He felt safest there, in the older boy's arms, and Takaki didn't object, curling protectively around Chinen with a warm smile on his face. A few of the boys gave them confused and loaded looks, but none said anything, apart from a few murmurs about how cute Chinen was. Chinen smiled a bit when he heard that. He _was_ cute.

Shoon plopped down next to them on the couch, leaning forward to see Chinen's face properly around Takaki's arm, striking up conversation just as Hikaru pulled a pack of cards out of his pocket, declaring that he was going to destroy Inoo in a game of poker. Takaki wasn't paying any attention to the Kumi-cho, yelling with Yabu and Yuto that he wanted in on this poker game. But it was no matter. Shoon wanted to talk to him, not Takaki, it seemed.

"So, Takaki's told me a bit about you." He said quietly. Chinen could barely hear the older boy over the ruckus the other kids were making. Shoon seemed to realize this, offering "My office is a much quieter place to talk, if you wouldn't mind, Chinen-kun." Chinen shook his head and pulled himself to his feet, despite the anxious buzzing in his chest. Takaki seemed to notice this, breaking out of his own conversation for a moment and leaning in, placing a quick kiss on Chinen's cheek. Shoon offered his hand, and Chinen took it, the older boy lightly guiding him to a door at the back of the room and opening it, ushering Chinen inside.

Shoon's office was bigger than Chinen had been expecting. The space was carpeted, with a large desk in the far right corner. On the immediate left of the doorway was a huge bookshelf, stocked full of books on what seemed to Chinen to be just about everything. Titles displayed that the subjects included child care, nutrition, law, mathematics, sciences, language, history, psychology, and martial arts among the bunch. An identical bookshelf was pushed up against the left wall, a standing lamp illuminating the titles on the shelves. The place held an aura of learning and peace, the glow from the lamps casting the room in a warm glow.

"Come." Shoon said, leading Chinen over to the desk, gesturing to an open chair before taking the seat behind its wooden surface. Chinen did, feeling tiny, his nerves heightening as he settled into the seat. Shoon smiled. "Chinen-kun, there are a couple of reasons I wanted to talk to you." Shoon said, the statement making Chinen swallow in anxiety. "I was hoping to just get to know you a bit, and gain a better understanding of your current level of education, as well as your fighting abilities, so that I can make sure that you're comfortable here, and so that you can continue to improve yourself." The Kumi-cho's big eyes held an understanding warmth in them, and Chinen felt himself relax slightly as the older boy asked "How does that sound to you?"

"Okay."

"Would you rather Takaki be here with you?" Shoon asked, and Chinen felt a slight offense at the suggestion that he couldn't handle the conversation they were having without support. He could take care of himself.

"I'm fine, Kumi-cho." He declared, and Shoon nodded, immediately diving right in. They started with simple things; when was his birthday? How old was he? Did he have any allergies or health conditions? What grade had he been in the last time he'd attended school? They discussed education for a long time. Shoon was obviously extremely serious about education; he told Chinen that he held lessons for the kids middle school age and younger in the mornings after breakfast, and Chinen in return told him about his own self tutoring, before promising to attend. After schooling the conversation drifted into fighting, and Chinen told Shoon about his gymnastics training, the older man explaining to Chinen that he'd like to spar with him sometime, to see for himself just how prepared Chinen would be in the event of an attack. The thought of being attacked made Chinen slightly uneasy, but he didn't let it show, just nodding.

It was surprisingly easy to talk to Shoon. He asked just the right questions at just the right moments to keep Chinen talking, and Chinen felt he could trust him. The older boy had this aura of perfection; as if he could be trusted with anything. As if he could handle anything without faltering. He seemed invincible, and yet kind and gentle. And while with Takaki Chinen always felt like the smartest person in the room, sitting here with Shoon he _knew_ that this boy was smart. Just as smart as him, if not—although Chinen would never admit it—smarter. He immediately emulated this leader, his respect for Shoon only growing throughout their conversation, and he felt himself already starting to care—just a little—about him.

They both grew comfortable, and once they'd settled into the conversation they talked enthusiastically, time passing unnoticed to Chinen there in Shoon's warm office, until there was a soft knock on the door. Shoon glanced over at it, Chinen following his lead, and the Kumi-cho said

"Come in." Takaki pushed the door open, asking

"Will you be needing Chii much longer, Kumi-cho? I was hoping to go to bed soon."

"Just a few more minutes. I have one last question, and then I'll return him to you." Shoon assured him, and Takaki nodded, exiting and shutting the door behind himself. Shoon glanced over at the clock resting on his desk, and he sighed. "It is late. But before you go, Chinen-kun, is there anything you'd like to ask? Anything at all." Chinen thought for a moment, searching his mind. He found one thing. The scars on Hikaru's arm; the suspicious ones. But when he asked about those, Shoon frowned.

"Hikaru's past is his own private business. I can't tell you how he came about those scars. What I can do is promise you that the use of drugs is not condoned here, and that every one of us is drug free. We do not associate with drugs in any manner. We aren't into that type of dirty business. Do I make myself clear, Chinen-kun?" While not aggressive, his words were spoken with a stark finality that could not be disputed. Chinen nodded. Shoon's tone softened. "If you'd like, you can ask Hikaru. But just like with you, any of my knowledge of this Kumi's members lives is kept in confidence." Chinen nodded again.

"Thank you, Kumi-cho." Shoon smiled, standing, and Chinen too stood, the older boy putting a warm hand on top of his head.

"You sleep well, Chinen. I'm sure Takaki is sick of waiting for you." Chinen nodded, and with a small bow he left, slipping out of the room to be greeted by Takaki, the bigger boy scooping him up at once. Chinen was surprised, but he hugged Takaki back as his friend set him down on his own two feet gently. Takaki yawned, his whole pretty face scrunching up with the action, and Chinen mirrored him, yawning back and rubbing his eyes, suddenly realizing just how tired he was.

"C'mon, let's go get in bed." Takaki muttered, and Chinen nodded, falling into step behind the older teen as he climbed the stairs. It was pitch black up there, the only window one right across from the landing, a thick curtain covering it. Takaki seemed to know his way despite the darkness, taking a right down a hallway and opening the first door he came to, Chinen simply following behind him. "This is my—our—room." Takaki declared, flicking on a light.

It was bigger than Chinen had anticipated, a full sized bed taking up most of one wall, while a twin was pushed into the opposite corner. In between the beds was nothing but dressers; the room had obviously not been originally intended as a bedroom, as there were no closets, or overhead lighting, Takaki going around to multiple floor lamps and flicking them on one by one until the space was bathed in light. The lack of a bright overhead light gave the room a slightly romantic feeling, Chinen thought. Like a room for a couple. That notion made him feel slightly uncomfortable. He and Takaki weren't a couple. They were friends.

In the middle of the room was Chinen's suitcase, all of his belongings still packed inside. He considered unpacking it for a moment, before dismissing the thought. He was tired, today had been rather stressful. He could deal with that in the morning; it wasn't going anywhere. Takaki, throughout this thought process, had stripped down, dug through one of the dressers for sweatpants to sleep in, and was now sitting on the edge of the full sized bed.

"Is that one mine?" Chinen said, pointing to the smaller of the two beds. Takaki shrugged.

"Well, yeah. Technically. We bought it for you, but I was thinking that if you'd like you can just sleep over here with me." Chinen nodded, immediately preferring Takaki's suggestion.

"But no sex tonight Yuyan!" He declared, as he took off his shirt, the older boy pouting a bit. "I'm exhausted!" Takaki giggled at that, and Chinen shook his head in mock exasperation, throwing his clothes to the floor and climbing up onto the mattress. Takaki shut off all of the lights, and they were once again doused in darkness. They got into bed together, Takaki automatically curling around him, the older boy's body cocooning him along with the sheets, and it was something that Takaki had only done once or twice before. But it was nice. After a few minutes of silence, Chinen thought that the bigger boy had fallen asleep, but then he murmured

"Are you happy, Chii?" Chinen blinked in surprise at the question, and then he spent a few moments considering it seriously. He shut his eyes, tugging Takaki's arm just a bit higher up on his shoulder, and he said quietly

"Yes." He heard Takaki chuckle, his voice deep and warm in his ear, and the older boy just said

"Good."

The next morning Chinen woke to a bony knee bashing him in his ribs. He jumped up, startled, and a voice right above him in the darkness cursed sharply, the slightly husky tones squeaky. There was a lot of commotion, the knee disappearing, and Takaki rustling around in the bed, as then suddenly a light was flicked on and everything made sense. Yuto had thrown himself onto the bed, obviously intending on waking Takaki up, but had instead landed on an unsuspecting Chinen. Scared by the surprise, Chinen's heart was pounding in his chest, and Yuto looked at the two of them in shock, his eyes wide as Takaki wrapped a comforting arm around Chinen's shoulders, Chinen leaning into his friend's side.

"What the hell, Yuto?!" Takaki asked, glaring at the younger boy. Yuto frowned defiantly.

"Breakfast is ready! Hikaru and Taiyo made waffles. They told me to get you up, and ask if Chinen wanted any." His gaze dropped to the floor for a moment, his voice growing softer. "I didn't realize you two were..." He gestured vaguely to the two of them, as Chinen felt his heart returning to its normal rate. "...like that." Chinen immediately recognized this as an opportunity.Yuto was embarassed and afraid of a negative reaction from the two of them. He could make Yuto like him right now, if he played his cards right. He smiled, pulling away from Takaki and saying

"It's okay, Yuto." Internally he was grumbling just a bit at being woken up, but Yuto seemed slightly relieved by Chinen's easy forgiveness for having been jumped on, and he smiled back at Chinen, before announcing his departure with a cheerful

"Well, I'm going to go eat! Come and join us, it's really good!" With that he skittered out of the room, and Chinen flopped back into the pillows, groaning a bit. Takaki laughed at him.

"Hikaru makes damn good waffles." The older boy informed him, and Chinen sighed. He knew he was going to get up, but that didn't make him want to any more. "C'mon Chii. Let's go." He put a hand on Chinen's shoulder. "Before they send Daiki to get us." Chinen pulled himself to a sitting position, and Takaki leaned in, kissing him. When he pulled away, he was smiling. "I'm really glad you decided to come here, Chii." Chinen just nodded, still tired and a little bit grumpy, and he slid out of the bed, falling to his knees by his suitcase and unzipping the beast, throwing on the first things he could find.

Takaki just grabbed a t-shirt, leaving on the sweatpants he'd slept in, and Chinen took the older boy's hand, letting himself be lead back downstairs into the kitchen. He yawned, the action taking up his whole face, and he noticed once he got downstairs, that the boys sitting around the table were in the same seats they'd been in the night before. Perhaps it was an assigned thing. He climbed into the seat he'd sat in for dinner, and Yuto smiled at him from across the table, waving, his mouth full of waffle. In front of the stove, Hikaru whacked Taiyof with the spatula he was holding, and Takaki laughed, grabbing two preprepared plates and setting one in front of Chinen.

Some of the boys it seemed, had already eaten, and they were lounging around in the living room. Shoon and Daiki were in a fierce chess match, Inoo and Yabu commentating slightly obnoxiously throughout the process. It became apparent that breakfast was no longer being served when the chefs sat down with their own plates, heaping quantities of food mounded onto the surfaces, which they scarfed down magnificently. Chinen's eyes caught on Hikaru's scars again, and this time the older boy noticed, his own gaze growing rather hard as he sent Chinen a look. Chinen turned away.

After breakfast Shoon shooed the older boys out of the kitchen, and in a group they all left the house, chattering on about practicing, whatever that meant. The other, younger boys were all sent to get their books, and Shoon explained to Chinen that they were going to study now. Chinen ran back up to his room, retrieving his own textbooks and joining the rest of them. There were three other boys, aside from Shoon, seated around the table. Yuto and Yamada were side by side, Yamada's katana sheathed, its strap hooked over the back of his chair, it's owner looking much more at peace than he had during the dinner. Across from them was Daiki, the older boy frowning, flopped in his chair. Chinen didn't dare make contact with Daiki.

Throughout the study session Chinen learned that he had advanced in his schooling way beyond the rest of the boys. He abandoned his own books halfway through, distracted by a question Yamada asked about simple algebra. He ended up tutoring the other boy for nearly the rest of the allotted study time, Yamada and Yuto commenting on how amazingly smart he was. The awe with which they said those things made Chinen smile, and in the days to come he became more of a tutor and less of a fellow learner. It made him feel important, and powerful. These kids thought something of him. He was to be looked to for help. He always looked forward to the study sessions.

After the study session ended, the older boys all tromped back into the house. They were all half naked, their bare upper torsos slick with sweat, their faces flushed but their expressions satisfied. They all bustled around the kitchen, talking and getting themselves snacks and drinks, and Chinen gathered his books slowly, watching and listening to everyone. His broad observation narrowed in more specifically when Hikaru plopped down in the chair next to Shoon, wiping sweat away from his face with one hand and saying

"Mayo, I have to talk to you." Shoon looked over at him in mild surprise. There was a small pause, Hikaru laying his right arm out on the table, displaying his scars. "I really want to do it. I want the tattoos. I'm sure of it." Shoon's eyes wandered over Hikaru's arm, his face serious, and after a few moments of consideration he nodded. That simple action put a huge smile on Hikaru's face.

"We'll discuss this in detail tonight, after dinner." Shoon decided, and Hikaru just nodded as the Kumi-cho stood, turning his attention to Chinen. "Are you feeling well today, Chinen-kun?" Chinen felt his face redden slightly at the direct question in front of the older boys, but he nodded. He felt great. Shoon smiled. "Good. If you're up for it, I'd like to spar with you." He paused, as if sensing Chinen's unease. "It's not a fight, Chinen. It's just practice. I won't hurt you." His grin grew. "You can try to hurt me, but...I don't anticipate sustaining any real injury." Chinen looked up at the Kumi-cho, flicking his bangs out of his eyes, and his resolve hardened. He was going to show them just how strong he was. Just how powerful he could be. He was going to make Shoon pay attention. He was going to make them all pay attention.

"I'm up for it." He declared, and Shoon nodded.

"Put away your books and meet me in the alley. No shirt, no weapons. It'll just be the two of us." He put a warm hand on Chinen's little shoulder. "This will be fun." He declared. Chinen wasn't so sure about _fun,_ but it would be interesting; and so it was with great anticipation that he went to meet the Kumi-cho out in the alley in front of his new home.


	10. Chapter 10

Chinen felt exposed and tiny as he stood in the alley facing Shoon, the much larger boy looking completely at peace as he slipped his shirt off, the article of clothing dropping casually to the pavement. Chinen felt rather insignificant as he stood there, his eyes sweeping over Shoon's scars, their volumes speaking of countless battles, years of experience and a high tolerance for pain. He was going to fight this man. He was going to fight, and he wasn't going to back down, he decided. And so, when Shoon gestured for him to attack, he did.

He ran at the Kumi-cho, and instead of lunging at him with his fists, he went into a cartwheel, kicking out. Shoon grabbed his ankle, successfully shoving him away, but Chinen rolled out of it, and he glanced up as he got to his feet, catching the surprise etched into Shoon's face. He felt a small sense of pride as he caught that look, and it was with renewed determination that he leaped at Shoon, kicking the older boy in the shoulder. Shoon didn't even stumble however, his feet planted wide, bracing himself for the impact.

He wrapped his arms around Chinen's chest, holding him solidly but not squeezing enough to cause any pain. Chinen in turn, bit down on Shoon's arm, grabbing at his forearms and anchoring himself with that grip as he pushed to bring his legs up and over to latch around Shoon's shoulders. Shoon figured out his plan however, releasing him and pushing him off of himself. Chinen growled a bit in frustration, slightly disoriented, and it was then that Shoon hit him, jabbing him right in between his collar bones, making him gasp and choke on the air for a moment. Chinen rolled away, crouching down and catching his breath as Shoon stayed where he was standing, looking over at him.

Shoon only gave him a moment to catch his breath before he lunged, his fist swinging out in a wide arc, his torso low to get down on Chinen's level; and Chinen used that to his advantage, grabbing hold of Shoon's neck and shoulders, pulling and trying to get him down on the ground. This time it worked, Shoon's center of balance too far forward, and he went crashing down, Chinen scrambling to get on top of him, it made difficult due to the sweat slicking the older boy's torso. He straddled Shoon's chest, only managing to land one punch before Shoon had gripped both of his thighs, his thumbs digging harshly into the insides of them.

It hurt way more than it should have, Chinen letting out a yelp of surprise at the pain, and Shoon released him, letting Chinen scramble away as he got to his feet. As soon as Shoon relieved the pressure, the pain stopped, as if controlled by a switch. Chinen got just far enough to push himself into a back handspring, doing two of them before kicking out and knocking Shoon right in the jaw, the Kumi-cho not having anticipated just how fast he would recover. Shoon however, spun around, catching Chinen as he was lunging out into his next handspring and elbowing him in the stomach, causing him to go crashing to the ground. Chinen would have landed on his head, but Shoon had the other arm ready, catching him and pulling him to his chest, and when he did he murmured

"That's enough, Chinen. You did very well." Chinen was still tense for a few moments, his heart pounding in his chest, his mind still racing as if he was faced with an enemy. But as the adrenaline subsided he felt relief wash over him, and he melted into Shoon's arms, the bigger boy picking him up as if he were just a small child, holding him close. And somehow Chinen didn't feel offended by the treatment. He just knew that it felt nice to be held this way. He buried his face in Shoon's sweaty neck for a few moments, feeling the pounding of the Kumi-cho's heart, and Shoon kept murmuring to him, soothing words about how _this was just practice,_ and _there's nothing to be afraid of; no one will hurt you here._

Finally after a few minutes Chinen was feeling much more like himself, and he pulled away, Shoon letting him stand on his own two feet, and he said

"Are you ready to go inside, Chinen? I think it's about time for lunch." Chinen nodded, but he reached out, noticing the way Shoon's face was puffed out on one side. Shoon leaned down a bit so that Chinen could see his swelling jaw. "You got me good." He told Chinen, and Chii felt a small prideful smile forming on his lips. He'd managed to give Shoon an injury. Shoon hadn't planned on getting hurt. Shoon seemed to sense his train of thought, and he nodded. "You're much better than I'd anticipated, Chinen. You're going to be killer." He smiled and gestured to the door. "Now, let’s go eat."

The other boys all seemed amazed by Shoon's swelling jaw, and they flocked their leader, asking questions and giving him ice to put on it. Takaki seemed just as proud as Chinen himself, bragging about Chinen's fighting capabilities, comparing him to some movie character named Yoda; a reference that only half of the boys seemed to understand. Regardless, they all seemed impressed; all except Daiki, who just glared at Chinen, looking furious. Inoo dragged the littler boy away, chattering about how it wasn't Chinen's _fault_ that he hurt Shoon, and to calm the fuck down. Chinen felt a shiver run down his spine. He'd hate to have Daiki hunting him down in revenge for some slight. The boy was terrifying.

The rest of the day was spent in peace, Takaki taking him up to bed early that night and barely getting the door closed before pressing his lips to Chinen's skin, picking him up and carrying him to the mattress. He seemed to be in a hurry as he fucked Chinen that night, impatient, with wandering hands and needy lips. But it was nothing Chinen had never experienced before, and he responded in kind, kissing Takaki and wrapping himself around the older teen, trying to stifle his moans now that there were other boys trying to sleep just down the hall.

In the weeks to come Chinen would occasionally have training sessions with Shoon. The Kumi-cho seemed to do one-on-one practice fights nearly every day with a different member of the household. Chinen always felt tense whenever Shoon would request for him to do these training sessions, but Shoon made it a point to start off slowly with him, talking him through everything and explaining to Chinen where his openings were, and ways he could improve. Nothing was ever as intense as that first sparring session, to Chinen's relief. He knew that while he had taken Shoon by surprise, the Kumi-cho was definitely the winner of that battle.

Chinen started getting to know his housemates much better. He enjoyed listening to Inoo and Yabu, the two boys liking to tell over exaggerated stories that always made Takaki laugh. Daiki was rather bullish and easily angered, but he never teased Taiyo the way some of the other boys did, and he obviously cared about all of them; his family. Chinen wasn't sure if he was part of that family yet, but he was positive he would find a way to get there. Taiyo and Yuto however, accepted him easily, letting him sit in their laps as they played cards or sat around talking.

Chinen learned all of the card games the boys played as fast as he possibly could, enjoying the psychological aspect of the games. He got good at them, winning money from the other boys that he always used to buy himself more clothes. It was fun to play, and even more fun to win. Chinen rarely lost, he himself a great bluffer. The games could get very competitive when he played with Hikaru, the older boy also fantastic at strategy, and the two of them would spend more time trying to analyze each other than doing anything else when they played.

Hikaru meanwhile went out one afternoon with Shoon, the both of them returning hours later, just after dinner had finished. Shoon was moving slowly, and as soon as he got in the door he gingerly removed his shirt, revealing that he'd had more of his tattoo colored, the process now over halfway done. Hikaru meanwhile, was in a tank top, his right arm bearing new ink. He had gotten thick, tribal designs from his wrist all the way up, over his shoulder and up the side of his neck. The whole thing was wrapped in plastic wrap to protect it, and Chinen realized as he studied the design that the tattoos covered every scar, hiding them forever.

Hikaru was flocked by the older boys, and he seemed quite happy with the new adornment to his body, a contented smile on his lips. Shoon watched as he talked enthusiastically with Yabu and Taiyo about it, a smile growing on his own face like that of a proud parent. Daiki talked with Hikaru a great deal about tattoo care, taking off his own shirt; and for the first time Chinen came to realize that Shoon hadn't been the only tattooed boy in the house. Daiki had a full back tattoo as well, his a colored piece of a fierce looking dragon. Chinen had heard the boys occasionally refer to Daiki as_ 'The Dragon' _before, but he hadn't really understood why, assuming it had to do with his fighting capabilities. Now it became all too clear. He knew he was staring, but he didn't much care. Daiki was only a few years older than himself; and the fact that he had a tattoo was shocking and it made Chinen more than a little uncomfortable.

Despite how on edge Daiki made Chinen feel sometimes, Chinen found himself overall very content, and he really did like his housemates. He joined in during tickle fights, placed bets on card and chess games, and did his best to manipulate the other boys into giving him what he wanted using his cuteness. He felt more at home here than he ever had with his parents, more wanted and more important to these kids already than he ever had to his biological family. This, he figured, was what family was supposed to feel like. He felt like dinner was the most family-esque thing they did, everyone in one massive conversation, bonding over the food at the end of the day. It was a nice time that was spent with everyone, a good way to get everyone's opinions on one topic at the same time, and it was about a month after Chinen had moved into the house when one evening Shoon used the dinner gathering to do just that.

"I went down to the underling housing to check up on everything today." Their leader started, everyone quieting to listen to him. "And a situation has arisen that I think we need to discuss." There were some nods, those that had been eating putting their chopsticks down as they gave him their full focus. "A few of you are familiar with Morimoto Ryutaro-kun. He has been working to establish himself as the strongest in the underlings." There were nods, Chinen seeming to be the only one that hadn't heard about this boy before.

"He has managed to achieve his goal, and just as with Dai-chan when he first joined us, it has managed to isolate him from companionship amongst the other boys. He has taken to using his position to have the others do his bidding, and he seems to have intimidated them into spending a great deal of time searching for his younger brother. Apparently the two were separated, and he has made it his goal to reunite with the kid." There were a few nods around the table, Yuto in particular looking rather moved by this Morimoto boy's quest.

"I was considering offering him a room here in this house, as we did with Daiki and Inoo, once they'd outgrown underling life. But I wanted to discuss it with you first for two reasons. One—the only room with space we have left to provide a bed is Yamada's room." He turned to the small boy, looking rather concerned, and he directed his next few sentences at him. "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. If you don't think you would be okay with sleeping in a room with another person, then we don't need to take this discussion any further." Yamada nodded, his face serious, saying nothing. "And the second reason is that if we do take in Ryutaro-kun, he would be the last boy we could take. There would simply be nowhere to sleep another boy, and therefore if he finds his little brother...we couldn't take him. And I don't know if it's worth offering if we can't accommodate for both." Shoon sighed. "This may not even be an issue. Ryutaro could refuse our offer, but I wanted to talk with you all before even mentioning it to him."

Everyone was silent for a few moments before Yamada spoke up, his eyes on Shoon, their gaze full of a strong unspoken faith.

"I don't mind." His voice wasn't loud, but it was confident. Everyone's eyes were on him, an air of mild surprise in the room. Yamada continued. "Ryutaro-kun is smaller and younger than me, and I have my katana. Besides—" He looked around at the other boys. "—if I need any help with him, you guys will support me." He turned back to Shoon. "If the Kumi-cho trusts this boy enough to offer him a place in our home—and in our family—then that's good enough for me." Yuto slung an arm around Yamada's shoulders, smiling proudly at him, and Yamada smiled back, affection warm in his gaze. When Yuto turned to the rest of them however, he was more serious than Chinen had ever seen him, a small frown on his lips.

"I'm glad Yama-chan is comfortable with Ryutaro-kun coming to stay with us." The boy started. "However, I don't know that it's a good idea to have him come and live with us if we can't take his brother too. He's made finding the kid not only his goal, but the underlings’ goal as well. His brother is obviously top priority to him. And if I was in his position, and there was a chance I could get my little brother back—" His voice was getting rough with emotion, his eyes full of unshed tears, and Chinen was taken aback by how obviously upset Yuto was. The other boys all seemed to be very sympathetic, Takaki standing up and wrapping a comforting arm around Yuto's shoulders from behind, pulling the distraught younger boy to his chest. It took Yuto a moment to compose himself before he continued.

"—then I would do anything to be with him. Anything. I know that you think that the underling housing is not a good environment for him anymore, Kumi-cho. But without his brother, I don't know that our home will be any better." Another silence fell after Yuto spoke, and Chinen couldn't help but wonder just what had happened to his housemate. Did Yuto have a biological brother somewhere? He was drawn back into the conversation when Inoo spoke, the older boy's words tentative, slow, and Chinen could tell he was thinking them through as he said them.

"But if we make Ryutaro-kun aware of our living situation—if we make sure he knows that we couldn't take his brother to live here too—then I think it would be okay to at least offer for him to come and live here. I mean, what Yamada said about trusting the Kumi-cho's judgment is something that we all agree with." His words were met with nods and small noises of assent from the other boys, and Shoon smiled gratefully at them, looking extremely flattered by their trust. "And so then as long as Ryutaro understands...he could make the decision to come here with all of the conditions, or not for himself." Inoo's logic made a lot of sense, and most of the boys said so, stating that they would be fine with inviting this Ryutaro kid to come and move into the house, so long as he was made well aware of the conditions of him accepting the last place in their home. Chinen nodded along with the rest of them. He figured that if would be nice to have someone in the house that was newer, younger, and more of an outsider than himself. Even Yuto, after much thought, agreed. And so it was decided that Shoon would talk to Morimoto Ryutaro very soon about coming to live in their home with them.

That night in bed after sex Chinen turned to Takaki, propping his head up on one hand, his elbow digging into the pillow, and he asked

"Yuyan...what happened to Yuto? Does he have a brother too?" Takaki sighed, pulling the sheets up over their bodies, and he said

"No. Yuto's brother died three years ago." He paused, indecision on his face, before saying quietly "The boy was murdered. He was just a little kid." Chinen felt slightly sick at the thought. That was horrendous. Yuto usually acted so happy, and yet...he had this burden that he was always carrying around with him. He was amazed. No wonder Yuto had been upset at the thought of the two siblings being separate when they had the option of being together. Takaki snuggled down into the bed, ready to sleep, and he muttered "It's okay Chinen. Yuto's going to be fine." Chii just nodded, and he felt his friend reach out and give his hand a quick squeeze, before he fell fast asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Chinen was glad that he'd been informed of his housemate's past, as he woke the next morning to find that it was apparently Yuto's thirteenth birthday. He and Takaki were coming down the stairs, the last ones awake, when Yuto bounded over to them, an excited light in his eyes. He looked up at Takaki expectantly, and the older boy smiled, giggling at Yuto's anticipation, and he said

"Happy birthday, Yuto." Chinen froze on the step he'd been standing on, taken by surprise. No one had mentioned that Yuto's birthday was coming up. The boy had mentioned that it was around this time, but he'd expected some sort of warning. He jumped to tack on his own birthday wishes, Yuto smiling widely and thanking the both of them before bounding away, yelling across the room to Yamada. Chinen glanced up at Takaki, tugging on the older boy's hand and hissing

"You didn't say it was his birthday!" Takaki shrugged.

"I forgot until I saw him. Don't worry, I can add your name to my present." Chinen blinked in surprise.

"You got him a present?"

"Yeah, Kumi-cho likes celebrating birthdays. We're going to have some really good food for dinner, and then cake, and presents. We do it for everyone's birthday; he asked you when your birthday was, didn't he?" Chinen realized that Shoon had in fact asked about his birthday. It had been one of the first things the Kumi-cho had asked him about. This birthday celebration was something that Chinen hadn't expected from this group of yakuza boys. He didn't really get it. But, he supposed, he'd never celebrated his birthday, so perhaps it was something he just couldn't understand.

The day passed normally until dinner time, when sure enough after they had eaten a cake was brought out and placed in front of Yuto, thirteen bright candles adorning it's surface. Yuto positively squealed in excitement, cooing over how pretty the cake was, his eyes wide and full of this amazingly happy energy that radiated from his body. They all sang, even Daiki, to Chinen's surprise, and the cake was dished out to them one at a time, the boys all digging in enthusiastically. Chinen took a tentative bite of his piece, a smile growing on his cheeks as the confection hit his tongue. The cake was amazing. Takaki caught his eyes across the table, smiling at him, and Chinen felt his own grin grow in response.

After dinner they moved the party into the living room, where Yuto unwrapped his presents. Luckily, Takaki had done as he'd said, including Chinen's name on the package he'd gotten Yuto, which turned out to be a new pair of converse tennis shoes, their housemate squealing in excitement when he opened the box, thanking Takaki and Chinen in a rush. Yuto had gotten a few other presents; a new leather wallet from some of the other boys, complete with little sleeves on the inside that he could use to store pictures—a feature Yuto was extremely excited about; a knife, it's deadly blade glinting in the light menacingly, and his own pack of playing cards, as well as some new clothes and candies. Yuto seemed to be extremely satisfied by his birthday, and Chinen, although still not fully convinced of the ritual's worthwhile nature, had a good time.

It was confirmed within forty-eight hours that Ryutaro-kun had accepted Shoon's offer to move in, and the next few days were full of preparations. They bought a new set of bunk beds, and another chair for the dining table, and they spent the entirety of one day building the furniture. The process was fun, everyone arguing and joking throughout the construction; and Chinen did his best at bossing the other boys around, enjoying it when they'd do as he told them to. The only boys he didn't dare do that to we're Hikaru, Daiki, and the Kumi-cho. They bought everything this Ryutaro boy could need, from socks to shampoo to bed sheets, and finally it was announced one evening that Shoon would bring the boy to live with them the following day.

That night Chinen lay awake for a while, and he speculated about this new boy with Takaki. He asked Takaki about Ryutaro, wondering just what he would be like. He'd been compared quite a bit to Daiki, and that made Chinen a little anxious. He didn't want another Daiki in the house. Not that he didn't like Daiki, but the older boy was just rough and closed off, and he seemed to Chinen a bit of a wild card. Takaki however didn't seem worried. He said that it might take a bit of time for Ryutaro to warm up to them, but it would be okay. Ryutaro was still really young anyway. Chinen agreed with that statement. He'd heard that Ryutaro was younger than him, only eleven. That was all he really knew about the boy. The others seemed to have a better understanding of what this kid was like, and the fact that none of them seemed to be very concerned put him at some ease.

Despite that ease, the next morning Chinen was extremely anxious about the arrival of this Ryutaro boy. He was tense, his eyes unconsciously darting to the door, and Shoon seemed to notice his unease, the young leader placing a gentle hand on his shoulder during breakfast and telling him not to worry. It wasn't the Kumi-cho's comfort that eased Chinen's mind however; it was Yuto, his antics causing Chinen to completely forget about the arrival of Ryutaro by midday. This was due to a viscous game of hide-and-seek-tag that Yuto had instigated after Shoon left to run some errands, the older boy rounding up players after breakfast and the usual studying session, declaring that it would be amazingly fun. He had been right.

It had come down to Yamada, Takaki, Chinen, Yuto himself, and—after much begging on Yuto's part—Yabu. The rest of the boys—Daiki, Taiyo, and Hikaru—all crowded around the kitchen table to watch. Daiki, to Chinen's surprise, seemed very interested in the game, the fierce boy eyeing them intently with undisguised curiosity. Yamada was declared the seeker, and with the addition of boundaries to their hiding places—Shoon's office and living quarters were off limits, and no one could leave the house—they all scattered, Yamada shutting his eyes and counting to fifty.

Chinen found himself crawling into one of the kitchen cabinets amongst the pots and pans, much to the amusement of the boys not participating; Hikaru and Taiyo both giggling a bit as he wriggled his little body in as silently as possible, pulling the door shut behind himself, bathing the tiny space in darkness. Chinen listened through the wood of the little door as Yamada finished counting, his heart pounding in his chest as he made out the sound of the other boy's footsteps once the game properly began. He shut his eyes, listening intently to the scurrying of feet, yelps and curses occasionally disrupting the silence whenever Yamada found one of them, those voiced noises always followed by the sound of feet pounding as a chase ensued.

As Yamada was one of the smallest in the house—second only to Chinen himself—these chases usually lasted for quite a while, either ending in the one fleeing being caught, or somehow managing to escape to a new hiding location. Giggles of excitement and muttered curses punctuated the heavy footfalls, and Chinen could always tell just how close or distant the chase had taken his housemates in correlation to his location there in the kitchen due to the rising or fading in noise level. Whenever a chase would ensue, the spectators would cheer, choose a side to root for, and enthusiastically shout for their chosen person to _run faster,_ placing bets on who would be caught next and if the person running would manage to escape; and it was in that manner that everyone truly got involved.

Chinen listened as individually Yamada caught his housemates. Takaki was the first to be defeated, followed—after much chasing—by Yabu and Yuto. Once each boy was caught they retired to the kitchen table, Chinen listening to the scraping of chair legs on the tile floor as the plopped down next to their companions, groaning dramatically in defeat. They discussed their hiding places and the chase they'd just completed enthusiastically, and Chinen couldn't help but listen to their excited words. It was because of this that Chinen began to lose focus, he himself getting caught up in Yuto's tale about how he narrowly avoided being tagged when Yamada found him in the upstairs linen closet that he wouldn't have realized that said seeker was about to find him if Yamada hadn't spoken up, his voice startlingly close to the cabinet door, Chinen's heart leaping into his throat in surprise.

"Have you guys noticed anything in here? Inoo and Chinen are hidden really well." Yamada's voice asked, and there was a pause, Taiyo starting to say something before Hikaru cut his taller housemate off.

"Shut up Taiyo! Don't tell him anything; he needs to find them on his own." He paused. "Unless you want to forfeit our bet." Yamada dismissed the older boys, instead asking

"Yuto?" There was a pause, during which Yuto must have shook his head, because Yamada sighed. "I haven't actually checked the cabinets yet." He declared, and Chinen went tense, preparing to spring out and make a run for it.

"Check the oven!" Hikaru called playfully, and there was a scoff from the kitchen table, Takaki declaring the tattooed boy morbid for even thinking that there could be a person in the oven. Despite that, there was the distinct sound of the oven door opening, and it was at that point that Chinen decided to run, throwing the cabinet door open with a bang and crashing out, the pots he'd been sitting with clanging against each other, announcing his presence blatantly. At his sudden appearance Yuto let out a yell of surprise, and all of the noise alerted Yamada to his presence, Chinen cursing as the older boy's head whipped around, his hand still on the oven door.

Yamada didn't even stop to close the kitchen appliance, leaving it still propped open as he settled in behind Chinen, chasing after him furiously. Chinen took the stairs to the second floor three at a time, his adrenaline rushing through his veins, a sense of anticipation and excitement filling his chest as he ran. He turned a sharp corner, going to the left after he'd breached the stairs, and he knew that for a few moments Yamada had lost sight of him. He raced down the hallway to the last door—Yuto and Taiyo's shared bedroom—and slipped inside, pulling the door wide and hiding behind it, flattened against the wall. He was still trying to keep quiet and get his breathing under control when Yamada entered the room.

Chinen watched through the crack where the door's hinges were, as Yamada came in, the older boy's eyes sweeping the area cautiously. He was careful, tense, his movements slow and deliberate as he walked to the center, ready to run. He obviously didn't see Chinen, and he eventually turned his back, bending down and searching under the bed. After that Chinen lost sight of him behind the door, but there was the sound of footsteps, and then another door opening, and he knew that Yamada had to be checking the closet. There was some rustling of clothes, and shuffling of items, and Chinen peeked his head around the door, catching sight of Yamada's back, and he took the opportunity to escape out into the hallway unnoticed, elation filling him up at his success.

He made the quick decision to dart across the hall into another bedroom, scurrying around that door to get into the same hiding spot as with the previous room, when he ran into Inoo, the older boy shoving at him frantically.

"What are you doing?!" Inoo hissed, still pressed up against the wall.

"Hiding!" Chinen declared indignantly. "Move!" Inoo shoved at him again.

"No! You can go somewhere else! I was here first, and besides—" He gestured to the bedroom openly. "—this is my room!" Chinen was about to open his mouth to protest when there was a loud exclamation of triumph from the hallway, and Yamada burst in. It was chaos, Inoo immediately shoving against the door, trying to close it before Yamada could make it inside. He nearly succeeded, Yamada managing to shove his sheathed sword into the gap between the door and it's frame before it was shut all of the way. There was a struggle, Chinen standing by the side, catching Yamada's eyes through the crack as his housemates fought through the door.

Yamada had the upper hand with his sword keeping Inoo from being able to force the door all the way shut. Inoo soon realized this, and after a few moments of struggle he suddenly sprang back, the door flying open and Yamada tumbling into the room. The other boy had obviously been leaning his full weight on the wood of the door, and at the sudden release of an opposing force on the opposite side he pitched forward, stumbling harshly to regain his balance. It was during his stumbles that Chinen took the opportunity to slip out, sprinting down the hallway. As he ran he heard a cry of defeat from Inoo behind him, and he knew that the older boy had been tagged. Chinen felt a smile blooming on his lips when he heard Inoo's yell. He was the last one left.

He pounded down the stairs, feeling victorious as the boys sitting around the table let out gasps and calls of surprise and encouragement at his reappearance. He felt that he may just _win_—until he glanced back behind him up the stairs and met eyes with Yamada, the older boy at the second floor landing, determination written on his face. He cursed quietly, and he ran into the living room, skirting around the edge of the couch to the far side, hearing the other boy's footsteps heavy behind him and feeling rather trapped.

There were a few doors around the edge of the room, but none led to any propped routes of escape, and he whipped back around, cursing again when he realized that Yamada had made it to the bottom floor, and the two faced each other, the only thing separating them a long couch situated in the middle of the room. The two of them both stood there on either side of the couch, catching their breath from the high speed chase. Then, once both had regained their usual breathing patterns, the chase turned into a ridiculous mirroring game. Whenever Chinen took a step to his left, Yamada took a step to _his_ right, and vice versa.

The boys at the table were all cheering, calling out suggestions and chattering on. Inoo's voice joined the fray, the older boy taking his seat at the table now that he too had been defeated. Their excitement and hype pumped Chinen up, adrenaline and a light hearted determination to win filling him. The back and forth lasted for a while, neither of them making much progress to change the distance between the two of them. Then, realizing that it would've futile to continue in this manner, they both stopped, still on opposite sides of the couch.

They stared each other down, each sizing the other boy up, trying to predict what their opponent would do. Then, after a long stillness Yamada's brow furrowed in fierce determination, and he burst forward, leaping onto the couch and running as fast as he could across the cushions toward Chinen. It took Chinen a moment to react to the sudden more fierce assault, but when he did he bolted to the side, skirting out to the far edges of the room to keep away from Yamada. He barreled toward the kitchen, the spectators letting out noises of excitement at the turn of events.

It was as he was nearing the space in the wall occupied by the front door that Chinen glanced back over his shoulder to check how close Yamada had managed to get to him, his ears filled with the cheers of his housemates, his heart soaring with the concept of victory, when suddenly he found his body slamming into another, the two of them crashing to the floor in a tangle of limbs. The unidentified person cursed, the voice—while certainly that of a boys—unfamiliar in Chinen's ear. He lay there on top of the boy, stunned from the sudden fall, and he felt a hand on his back, Yamada declaring

"Got you!" Chinen groaned, still overall confused and disoriented, and he felt a warm hand on his chest, pushing at him. He rolled dutifully to the side, off of the boy he'd been smothering with his body, and he had the presence of mind to apologize, glancing over at the boy still muttering curses.

"What a way to be welcomed." The kid muttered, rubbing at one shoulder and sighing. Shoon was standing in the doorway, looking down at the two of them on the floor in mild surprise. It only took Chinen a moment to figure out who this boy must be, and he said

"Morimoto Ryutaro!" The boy made a noise of affirmation, finally looking up and meeting Chinen's eyes, and Chinen suddenly felt as if his heart stopped in his chest, all breath leaving him.


	12. Chapter 12

Morimoto Ryutaro had a gaze that pierced Chinen down to his soul. His eyes were slightly wild, wide and on edge. Despite that they had this honest, pure element, and the way he looked at Chinen was different than anyone had ever looked at him before. It was as if this boy was connected to him on some new, amazingly deep level, and he felt as if every nerve was tingling with a new energy under Morimoto Ryutaro's gaze. After a moment however, the younger boy looked away, pulling himself to his feet. Chinen too scrambled up, and he found that they were about the same size once they were both standing next to each other.

All of the boys in the kitchen had grown quiet by this point, and Shoon directed Morimoto toward that room, saying gently

"Let's introduce you to everyone, Ryutaro-kun." The older boy had a small box in his arms, presumably full of Ryutaro's things, and he set it down by the stairs, Chinen following them into the kitchen. Introductions were quickly made, Chinen himself going last. He watched as this new boy's eyes flitted around the room, taking everything in, and Chinen observed the way Ryutaro reacted to each of the boys in the house as they were introduced. His face didn't give much away.

Ryutaro was extremely proportionate, none of his features were defining in that they looked large or small or wide or narrow in comparison to the rest of himself. He was small, but he wasn't built petite like Chinen, and he wasn't thin or lanky like Yuto or Yabu. He―to Chinen's utter relief―didn't have any tattoos. But he also didn't have any defining scars or freckles. He was muscular, but they all were, and it wasn't like the boy looked much different from any other kids his age. He didn't smile, but he didn't frown either, throughout the introductory process, just giving them all little nods of acknowledgement after they'd introduced themselves.

Chinen was fascinated by him, and he kept an eye on Ryutaro throughout the afternoon. He watched the way the younger boy sized Yamada up as soon as he was made aware of the fact that it was Yamada whom he'd be sharing a room with. His eyes swept shrewdly over Yamada's form, catching on the long sword the older boy had slung on a strap over his shoulder. It was slightly tense, Yamada obviously rather uncomfortable with the way Ryutaro was looking at him, scooting a bit into Yuto's side, but then Ryutaro gave a small noise of approval, and Yamada let out a breath, the group all moving into the living room.

It was a few hours later, Yuto and Taiyo going to make dinner when Shoon asked Hikaru to take Ryutaro's things upstairs. Hikaru nodded, immediately abandoning the game of cards he'd been playing with Yabu and getting to his feet. Shoon returned his attention to the young boy at once, but Ryutaro was obviously not pleased with Shoon's decision, and Chinen noted the reluctance with which he allowed Hikaru to scoop up the little cardboard box Shoon had deposited at the foot of the stairs and disappear into the upper level of their home, taking it out of view. Ryutaro was obviously protective of his box, and it only took him a moment before the separation became too much for him to bear, the new boy excusing himself from the conversation the Kumi-cho had been engaging him in and following Hikaru. Takaki, who had curled up on the couch next to Chinen, snorted, murmuring into Chinen's ear

"He doesn't trust us." As Chinen watched Ryutaro disappear from view he nodded in agreement. It was obvious in how tense the younger boy was that he didn't trust the rest of them living in the house. Yet, if he wasn't willing to trust them, then why had he come to live with them? Why would he give up the chance of being able to stay with this little brother that he obviously cared so much for, to live with people that he didn't trust? It didn't make any sense. But it seemed too personal a question to ask the day he met the kid, so Chinen kept his queries to himself.

Chinen stayed glued to Takaki throughout the next few days as per usual, but he couldn't help but watch the Morimoto boy, fascinated by him; fascinated by the way that every time their eyes locked he felt a zap of electricity run down his spine. Morimoto would catch him staring, and sometimes he'd ignore him, but other times he'd stare right back, almost challenging Chinen to do something, and in those times Chinen would feel so understood and completely exposed that he would pull his gaze away, still feeling the younger boy's eyes on him long after he'd diverted his attention elsewhere.

That wasn't to say that Chinen saw a whole lot of Morimoto Ryutaro. The younger boy would participate in Shoon's morning study sessions, and he would occasionally spar with the Kumi-cho or some of the other boys, but he spent a great deal of his free time out of the house, wandering their territory on his own. Chinen didn't understand it at first―it was quickly made apparent that the younger boy wasn't shy, and he didn't hold anything against any of them, often spending the evenings with the rest of them; participating in card games with Taiyo and Inoo, or arguing just for argument's sake with Yamada. But then it hit him one day, as he watched Ryutaro sigh, staring wistfully at the door, what must be happening. Ryutaro hadn't given up on finding his little brother like Chinen had assumed he had. He was still looking. So one day, nearly a week after Ryutaro's arrival, Chinen found the younger boy sitting alone in his room, sharpening a knife, and plopped next to him on the floor.

"Why'd you do it?"

"What?" Ryutaro sounded confused and slightly taken aback. This was the first time Chinen had gone out of his way to talk to the newer boy.

"Why'd you agree to move in? You're still looking for that brother of yours." Ryutaro huffed in surprise, setting his blade aside and turning to look at Chinen.

"You finally decide to break the silence, and you approach me with this?" He asked. It was Chinen's turn to be surprised.

"Finally decide to break the silence?" He muttered questioningly. Ryu nodded.

"Yeah. I know that you know I've noticed the looks you give me―which should really bother me, by the way. I figured you'd come and talk to me soon. But I didn't expect this."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. No one else has noticed that I'm still looking for Shin." Chinen considered that.

"The Kumi-cho has probably noticed. You can't get much by him." He commented, and Ryutaro shrugged.

"You're the first to mention it." Chinen didn't know how to respond to that, so he didn't, just quietly considering the younger boy's face for a moment before reaching out and poking him in the cheek. Ryutaro smacked his hand away, but the look he fixed Chinen with didn't have any malice in it, just curiosity and confusion. Chinen found himself smiling a bit. That made Ryutaro frown, and he sighed, his body heaving with the action. "What the hell d'you want?" He asked, and though his words were crude, they too were delivered softly, without any harshness in them, and somehow Chinen knew he wasn't mad.

"I—" Chinen found himself floundering. What _did_ he want? He didn't know what drew him to Ryutaro, all he knew was that he wanted to be around him, to understand him. And he knew that he liked the way he felt when they looked at each other; liked the tingling sensation he got when their skin brushed. He couldn't find the words to explain the way he felt; he couldn't tell this boy what he thought, and he found himself dodging the question by scrambling to his feet and making for the door, feeling wholly embarrassed.

He sought comfort in Takaki's arms, curling up in the older boy's lap silently, and Takaki held him willingly, placing gentle kisses on his cheeks and rubbing his back until he relaxed. Chinen avoided meeting Ryutaro's persistent gaze that evening at dinner, and that night he and Takaki went to bed early, fucking before they fell asleep. Takaki took his time that night making Chinen feel good, touching and holding and kissing him, and Chinen managed to forget completely about Ryutaro by the time the older boy finally slid inside him. And the next morning when they went down for breakfast he clung to Takaki, deliberately avoiding Ryutaro until the morning study session Shoon had them attend, and even then continuing to avoid the younger boy, spending all of his time explaining the Pythagorean Theorem to Yamada and Yuto. But he could only avoid Ryu for so long.

"I don’t really care.” Ryutaro declared around midday, flopping down onto the couch next to Chinen. The younger boy was looking at him, glancing sideways without moving his head. Chinen couldn’t help but turn, and when he did look over at the younger boy, Ryutaro looked away, glancing down into his lap.

“What?”

“I don’t really care what you want from me. I…I didn’t mean to make you leave.” He sighed, seeming at that moment much older than he really was. “That’s not right. I mean, I do _care_ but I don’t mind, I guess.” He seemed to give up on words at that point, a slight blush on his cheeks, and they sat in silence for a few moments, Chinen surprised by the sudden serious conversation. But then the younger boy just added “You haven’t been looking at me.” He sounded genuinely disappointed, and he swallowed blinking and clapping his hands on his knees before standing up, and Chinen realized that this whole thing was Ryutaro’s way of trying to apologize for making him leave the day before. But now _he_ was leaving, and Chinen unconsciously reached for Ryutaro’s hand, snagging it right as the younger boy took his first step toward the front door.

“I’m looking at you now. I mean—” It was Chinen’s turn to feel awkward and embarrassed. “—d’you want to study or something together? I can help you with math.” Ryutaro glanced back at him in surprise.

“Honestly, no. I don’t want to study any more than I have to.” He declared, and Chinen let go of the younger boy’s hand. “But we could play a game or something.” Ryutaro offered quickly, turning to face him, looking down at him tentatively. Chinen found himself nodding.

“Okay.” Ryutaro didn’t smile, just nodding back, but he sounded eager as they discussed what game they would play, his eyes bright. It was the first day the younger boy spent completely in the Kumi house, not once leaving to go out and search for his brother. It was a wonderful afternoon, Chinen enjoying their time together immensely, loving learning every new, little thing about Ryutaro in a way he’d never enjoyed anyone before; not even Takaki. They spent the rest of the day together, escaping to the room Ryutaro shared with Yamada and hanging out; the games eventually naturally devolving into conversation, Ryutaro showing Chinen a picture of his brother, while Chinen told him of the older sister he had but didn't really know.

Chinen found himself opening up to Ryutaro in a way he’d never done with anyone before, the way Ryutaro looked at him—as if he already knew Chinen, knew him well—made it easier than with most people. It reminded Chinen of the way Shoon looked at him, but the two gazes were not quite the same. Perhaps it was due to the age difference. Perhaps it was that while the Kumi-cho held this almost superhuman perfection to him, Ryutaro was more of an individual, more open. He let Chinen see his imperfections, and whether that was intentional, or simply because he didn’t know how to cover them up, it made Chinen like him even more.

He enjoyed spending time with Ryutaro, and as the weeks passed he found himself spending more and more time with the younger boy. Ryu was different than Takaki. He was smart, sharp and stubborn, and his opinions—especially when it came to someone's character—seemed to Chinen unwavering. He was everything Takaki wasn't, and yet he, like Chinen's friend, amazingly enough wanted to listen to him, and spend time with him. As the weeks pass Chinen finds that the more he learns about Ryu the more he _wants_ to learn, and he finds himself gravitating toward the younger boy whenever he's home. And despite the more constant contact, the electricity Chinen feels in Ryutaro's gaze doesn't go away, it still just as strong and breathtaking as the day they'd first met. It sends warm shivers down his spine.

If Takaki notices Chinen's newfound bond, he doesn't mention it; he seems perfectly content when Chinen curls up in his arms, the older boy murmuring compliments into his neck. Takaki adores him, Chinen realizes, and he loves the attention. Though they spend less time throughout the day together, their nighttime activities grow even more active, Takaki pulling Chinen to him whenever he got the chance. Their housemates seemed to notice the affection shared between the two of them—for Chinen would often reciprocate—and it resulted in some of the other boys asking if they were a _couple,_ something Chinen violently denied. Sure he liked Takaki, the older boy was a great friend, but he'd come to the conclusion that he wasn't in love with him. That he never had been.

It was nearing a month and a half since Ryutaro had come to live with them when there was a knock on the door during dinner. Taiyo and Inoo had been telling a story, the others listening enthusiastically; but when the rapping was heard they all fell silent at once. There was a mutual air of surprise amongst all of them—no one ever knocked on their door. Ever. Chinen sent a confused glance across the table to Yamada, the older boy just shrugging. So instead he turned to Shoon, hoping their leader could provide some explanation for the interruption.

"It seems we have a visitor." The older teen declared, as the person outside knocked again. He looked over at Chinen calmly. "Chinen, please get the door." Chinen nodded, slipping out of his seat and padding over, tense, ready for a fight as he pulled the door open. It was a boy, taller than him, with delicate looking facial features, his eyes wide. They stared at each other in surprise, and Chinen could feel all of his housemates eyes on him, curious as to who the intruder was. Chinen didn't know this kid, so he asked.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Kyomoto. My name is Kyomoto. I have to see Morimoto-san immediately. It's urgent." Chinen frowned, but he heard the sound of chair legs scraping against the floor as someone got to their feet, and he turned to see Ryutaro walking over, his eyes serious, his pace quick.

"You've found him?" The younger boy asked, his attention completely on this Kyomoto boy. The kid nodded.

"We think so."

"Then let’s go." The two rushed out into the night, Ryutaro not explaining anything, just sending Chinen a quick backwards glance as he ran out the doorway. Chinen still didn't know who that boy was, but he could infer what was going on. The people Ryu had looking had managed to find his brother at last.


	13. Chapter 13

Chinen sat up playing card games with the rest of the boys that night, them all trickling up to bed one by one, Takaki leaving when Hikaru and Yamada called it quits, leaving Chinen down with the others with a wave and a yawn.

Eventually it was only Chinen, Yuto, and Taiyo left playing, Chinen wasn't really focused on the game, his thoughts wandering between their conversation and speculation about what Ryutaro was doing; if he'd actually been reunited with his brother. Soon Taiyo too called it quits, Yuto having already fallen asleep there slumped onto the table, his hand of cards face up, smushed under his cheek. Taiyo gently scooped up his roommate in his long lanky arms, holding him tightly to his chest and murmuring a low good night to Chinen before ascending the stairs up to their shared bedroom. He tripped over the top step of the landing, Chinen heard his body thump against the wall as the older boy slumped against it to support himself, and he shook his head in embarrassment for him, getting up and beginning to clean up their card game, yawning. He too was ready for bed.

He was halfway up the stairs himself, when the front door swung open, Ryutaro slipping inside, his nose red from the cold. Chinen immediately tromped back down to the bottom floor, Ryu shutting the door as quietly as possible before catching Chinen's gaze with his own, Chinen feeling that now-familiar zap of electricity run through him, and he couldn't help but ask

"So...what happened? Did you find him?" Ryutaro broke out in a smile, and he nodded, rubbing his hands together to warm them from the chill the September night brought with it. Chinen felt himself smiling too, genuinely happy for the younger boy. "That's great! Tell me about it." Ryutaro blinked at him for a moment.

"I—yeah, okay. But here—" He gestured to the stairs, taking a step toward them. "—follow me; I've gotta do something in my room." Chinen nodded, and they climbed the steps single file, Ryu continuing on to say "We'll have to be quiet and try to not wake Yamada up. He freaks out when you wake him up by mistake." Chinen nodded. He'd heard about some of Yamada's weird quirks; the product of some kidnapping he'd been through before he'd come to their Kumi.

They breached the stairs and turned left, going to the room past Takaki and Chinen's, Ryu letting Chinen inside, and they tiptoed around, Chinen seating himself by one of the dressers. He settled in, watching the younger boy flit around the room, listening as Ryutaro talked while he dragged out a box and began stuffing clothing into it.

"They found Shintaro at a fast food joint across the river." Ryutaro told him. He elaborated, but as Chinen had never gotten the full story before, Ryutaro's words left some explanation to be desired, holes in Chinen's understanding that didn't go away as Ryu continued. "He'd been adopted by a new family, but I hadn't, and he'd eventually run away. He'd actually been making his way across the country, trying to go back to our old town. But he said when he'd heard that I'd left the orphanage he didn't know what to do. So he'd just been trying to stay away from the authorities." He sighed, stopping in cramming things into his box and leaning back on his heels. "He's an idiot." He muttered affectionately.

"I'm glad you found him; he's not starving or anything?" Chinen asked, but then they both froze as Yamada shifted in his bed, waiting with baited breath, but their housemate didn't wake up.

"No, he's fine. If there's one thing the kid knows how to do it's eat." Ryu assured him, throwing a few last things into the box. Chinen had to ask

"What's all of this?" He gestured to Ryu's box. "Are you giving him everything you posses?" Ryutaro snorted, dragging the box over to the doorway and Chinen helped him pick it up, the two of them carrying it out into the dark hallway. It was only once they were out of the room, the door shut soundly behind them that Ryutaro responded

"No." He paused, adjusting his grip on the box as they neared the stairs. "I'm leaving." Chinen froze. "I never planned to stay; I just wanted to find my brother. Now that I've found Shin I have no reason to be here." Ryutaro's words were very matter of fact. Chinen found himself suddenly extremely upset, his grip tightening on his end of the box, and he stood there at the top of the stairs, fighting back tears, his breathing ragged. Ryutaro moved to start down the stairs, but Chinen stayed put, his head tucked to hide his face, as an immense wave of despair washed over him.

"Hey—what the fuck's up with you?" Ryutaro seemed caught off guard by Chinen's sudden stillness, and when Chinen looked up at the younger boy he could have sworn he saw concern on his face. Chinen just shook his head, motioning for Ryu to go down the stairs, and as they maneuvered down as quietly as they could. All he could focus on was the younger boy's face, the mop of dark hair and the curve of his cheeks and those eyes that had kept him riveted since their introduction, and the fact that he was _leaving._ It was only once they reached the bottom that he spoke, as Ryutaro took the box into his arms completely, Chinen letting go.

"Don't go." He says, the words out before he can even consider them, and it’s not like him to be this emotional, but he can't—won't—stop himself. When he wants something he goes after it, even if he doesn't understand why. Ryutaro raised his eyebrows in surprise at that statement. "I know he's your brother, but you belong here! I mean...I want you to stay." Ryutaro sighed again, pulling the box just a bit tighter to his chest, not backing down. "We—we're friends or something aren't we?" Chinen finds himself saying. And though they'd never acknowledged that they were anything really, it was how he felt. They were great friends. He liked Ryutaro, held more affection for him than anyone he'd ever met, and it was crushing him right now, that previously ignored affection so heavy in his chest he felt he would double over with the weight of it. Ryutaro frowned, looking troubled.

"Chii...I've got to go. I am going." He adjusted his grip, pulling the front door open, not looking back as he left. Chinen felt a physical pain in his chest as the younger boy walked out the door, as if something inside of him was breaking, and he slumped to the floor, curling in on himself. He didn't understand why it hurt so much, why he _felt_ all of these miserable feelings inside of him; all he knew was that his sense of abandonment had never been stronger. He rarely ever cried; it was something he prided himself on—his ability it to keep himself together—but he was crying now, the tears streaming down his cheeks thick and fast, and he must have made some noise because Shoon's door opened, and he silently came out, gently scooping Chinen up in his arms.

"I—I don't know." Chinen told him, the older boy's big knowing eyes blinking down calmly at him, and the leader nodded, saying gently

"Do you want to go to bed?" Chinen nodded into his shoulder.

"My bed." The phrase came out rough with his tears, but Shoon nodded, taking him up to his room, and soon he was being tucked into bed. All of the movement woke Takaki, the older teen blinking up at them confusedly in the darkness.

"Chinen's not feeling well." Shoon murmured, and Takaki immediately wrapped a warm, comforting arm around him, pulling Chinen to him.

"Nightmare?" He asked, his voice still husky from sleep. Chinen just nodded; it was easier than explaining. Takaki let him snuggle up close. "It's going to be alright." He declared, placing a kiss on Chinen's forehead. "I'm here." Exhausted, distressed, and drained, those words were the last thing he heard before Chinen fell into the welcome escape that was sleep.

He woke late the next morning, Takaki already semi dressed and ready for breakfast when he finally opened his eyes. The older man kissed him, hugging him and wishing him a good morning with a smile. Chinen tried to smile back, still somehow utterly miserable, hollow and empty inside, and he let Takaki lead the way to the kitchen for breakfast, he himself dragging his feet, not feeling hungry. Still too hurt to want to eat. The emotional roller coaster he'd been through seemingly wasn't finished however, because when he got downstairs he heard a familiar voice say snarkily

"We'll if you weren't as big as the fucking Tokyo Tower then—" Chinen rounded the corner in time to see Daiki whacking Ryutaro over the head with an empty plastic cup in violent retaliation for his teasing of Taiyo, glaring harshly as Ryu sputtered out curses. Chinen felt an immense relief, and he sank weakly into his chair, his eyes glued to Ryu's face. Ryutaro glanced over at him, one eyebrow cocked, and he said

"What?"

"You're here." Chinen didn't understand. Why was he here? Ryu nodded, focusing on his breakfast plate.

"Yeah....we _are_ friends—or whatever." It's then that Chinen stands up and tackles him, wrapping his arms tightly around the younger boy, a smile on his face, and although Ryutaro protests, he can hear the happiness in his tone, and he doesn't let go. After that he rarely does. If they had been close before, they were nearly inseparable now. Ryu lets Chinen do anything he wants, and while he would grumble about it, He’d also occasionally let slip a small smile. Chinen likes to get Ryutaro alone, the younger boy much more relaxed when it was just the two of them, more gentle and innocent, and willing to play along with Chinen’s games and questions, and even _smile._ On the rare occasions when Ryutaro smiles Chinen feels as if he’d just won a fight, completely empowered and wholly _important._ He feels like he’s worth something.

His feelings are obviously not one sided. Chinen is fully convinced of Ryutaro placing value in him when they leave the house one day, wandering deeply into the thicket of abandoned buildings, the younger boy tugging him along, cursing his slowness, excitement lighting his eyes. Chinen didn’t understand what all of the fuss was about until he started seeing _people_—young boys with hard expressions, mostly—in some of these buildings, and he put the clues together. Ryutaro had told him that Shintaro had still joined the Kumi and was staying in the underling housing. This must be it. He was being taken to meet Ryu’s precious brother.

They entered a rather decrepit looking building, Chinen pleased to find that the outside was much more run down than the inside. They climbed the stairs, and it wasn't long before Chinen found himself face to face with a boy Ryutaro proudly introduced as his brother. The fact that they were related was undeniable. Shintaro resembled his brother very closely, and it was even more obvious that they were siblings once the younger boy opened his mouth.

"How old are you, Shintaro-kun?" Chinen found himself asking. The boy gave him a suspicious look, Ryu swatting him on the back of the head, and grumbling that he was a brat before he answered.

"Nine."

"Woah, you're so tall Shintaro-kun!" Chinen's flattery was met with a knowing look from Ryu, but Shin smiled, his chest puffing out just a bit in pride.

"Nii-chan doesn't think so, but we both know he's just jealous." Shintaro smirked, his devilish expression one Chinen had seen Ryutaro wear whenever he teased one of their housemates.

"Hey! You brat—" Ryutaro tackled his brother, the younger boy letting out a yelp as they slumped onto a small bed, muttered curses falling from both boys lips as the wrestled. Chinen would have been nervous, but they were both smiling, the scuffling leaving them both out of breath but unharmed. They hung out with Shin until the sun began to set, the little boy practically kicking his brother out of the house when a group of other kids all showed up; obviously other Kumi underlings, they swarmed Shin, all talking and laughing, and Chinen realized that they all seemed pretty happy. He voiced this opinion to Ryutaro as they walked home, the autumn chill in the air causing him to stick close to the younger boy's side. Ryu nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, Shin's much happier with them than I was, but he's always been better at getting along with people than me. I don't know what it is about that little brat that people like, but..." He shrugged, before changing topics. "Thanks for being so nice to him. I think he likes you. I wanted you two to get along."

"Oh?" Chinen raised his eyebrows in surprise. Ryutaro hadn't said anything about it beforehand, never asking him to be nice to the kid. He'd just wanted Shintaro to like him. Because he was Ryu's brother.

"Yeah." Ryutaro was blushing, his cheeks tinting pink as he talked. "I mean...you two are the most important people in my life, so I want you to get along. And you're the reason I stayed in the house, and not with him. I was hoping that when he met you he might understand. I don't want him to think I don't love him or something equally as stupid." Chinen felt overwhelmed by Ryutaro's words, and it was all he could do to simply say

"I feel the same...I think." He reached out on instinct, taking Ryutaro’s hand in his, gripping it tightly. The younger boy blinked at him in surprise, but he didn’t pull away, letting Chinen lead him back home, their clasped hands bridging the space between them as they walked. They didn’t let go until they got home, Takaki sweeping Chinen up in his arms, breaking their grasp. Chinen laughed, enjoying Takaki’s affection, the older teen asking him where the fuck he’d been.

Takaki had obviously missed him, not letting go of Chinen for the rest of the night, and Chinen was surprised to note the older boy sending cold glances Ryutaro’s direction whenever the younger boy tried to engage them in conversation. Chinen humored Takaki though. He had been spending a lot of time with Ryutaro. So he gave Takaki everything that evening, and he was content that night, curled up in Takaki’s arms in their shared bed, sweaty bodies sticking together under the blankets, Takaki’s lips pressing gentle kisses to the top of his head. Takaki always made Chinen feel smart, made him feel safe and content. Takaki was easy to understand, and he had become a steady presence in Chinen’s life that Chinen appreciated. He was a wonderful friend. He was Chinen’s first—and it was something Chinen treasured. Takaki had taught Chinen how to be a friend. He had taught him to trust people, to care about others, and he had taught him that not everyone simply tolerated him and used him as a means to an end. Chinen felt loved when he was with Takaki. It was always easy to sleep when he was in the same bed as Takaki.

The next day Chinen came down the stairs earlier than usual to see Taiyo curled up on the couch with Hikaru, Yabu, and Yuto, the four boys all pouring over a large thick leather bound book. He wandered over, still blinking sleep out of his eyes, and he peered down at the object of their interest, surprised to find his own face staring back at him. It was a photo album, and Chinen didn’t remember the pictures being taken, but that thought quickly fled his mind, he too joining in looking at the book’s contents, squeezing in on the couch between Hikaru and Taiyo, enjoying the photographs. When they reached the last page with anything on it, Taiyo frowned.

“There’s not a family picture.” He stated blankly. Yuto blinked up at him in surprise at the phrasing.

“Nope. We don’t really take those.” The thirteen year old said.

“We should.” Taiyo declared. “I’m going to ask the Kumi-cho.” He set the book down on the coffee table, pulling himself up to his full stature, and was obviously just about to go in search of their leader when the front door burst open, Daiki and Inoo falling into the living room, the both of them covered in blood, a large white box clutched in Inoo’s hands. Chinen felt a curse slip from his lips, his heart jumping to his throat in shock.


	14. Chapter 14

As soon as Inoo and Daiki made it inside the house they collapsed, Daiki spewing curses, while Inoo held out the box he’d been holding, saying

“We got the doughnuts.” Chinen watched as the other boys all scrambled across the room, the four of them splitting into pairs and attaching themselves one to each of the bloody boys’ arms, helping them to the kitchen and plopping them into chairs at the table.

“KUMI-CHO!” Yabu’s yelling pulled Shoon from his office immediately, the young man’s eyes wide with fear, and when he spotted Inoo and Daiki’s bloodied forms he frowned, his eyebrows scrunching together in concern. Chinen tentatively joined the group in the kitchen, not taking part in the events unfolding but simply observing his housemates. Hikaru dashed off to get a first aid kit, Shoon having Yuto and Yabu get washcloths ready to clean the other boys up, while he had Taiyo get to work peeling their clothes off of them so that they could get a better look at the injuries. The box of doughnuts lay forgotten on the floor.

“What happened?” Shoon’s voice was gentle but firm, and the question was taken up by Inoo, Daiki just pursing his lips and staying silent. Daiki had a wild, unbridled look in his eye, like a beast, and Chinen understood as he looked at him that his housemate’s nickname—‘The Dragon’—was more than a reference to his tattoo. It was a warning.

“Dai-chan was craving doughnuts this morning is what happened.” Inoo said his tone light despite the tacky trails of blood running from each of his nostrils and the split lip he was sporting. Daiki snorted in amusement at that, and Inoo smiled a tiny smile.

“Elaborate, please.” Shoon said patiently, as the other boys got to work patching their housemates up. Chinen watched as they washed away the drying blood, removing Daiki and Inoo’s clothing to reveal bruising and cuts. The ones being taken care of didn’t move, letting them do as they pleased. Inoo had a particularly nasty looking one running down his back, the slice deep and vicious. Chinen cringed at the sight of the gore, having to look away.

“Well, we decided to go get doughnuts for everyone this morning, since Dai-chan wanted some, and so we went down to that place across from the high school. The one by the tailors.” Shoon nodded, and Chinen too knew which shop Inoo was referring to. “So we were just about to head home when like _ten_ Wakaba members come out from around the side of the shop. It was definitely an ambush Kumi-cho, they were prepared for a fight.” That made Shoon draw his eyebrows together in worry, and he sighed. “There’s not much else to tell. We did a number on them before we decided to run for it. Dai-chan wanted to kill them, but these guys were pretty good, and five to one isn’t good odds. Plus I left my knife at home—dumb, I know.” At this point Inoo leaned forward, and Hikaru started tending to that gash on his back, Chinen watching, slightly mortified as Hikaru took a needle and pierced Inoo’s skin, the pale boy wincing and hissing as the needle dipped into his flesh, Hikaru drawing it back out again and tying a knot, before continuing on to the next stitch. Chinen felt a shiver run down his spine.

As Daiki and Inoo were patched up more and more of the rest of the boys awoke, the lot of them all gathering in the kitchen, asking questions and pitching in with the nursing duties. Someone retrieved the box of doughnuts from the living room floor, and they were passed around, everyone happy to find that while the outside of the box was decorated in blood, none of the doughnuts inside had met the same fate. Daiki and Inoo got first pick, everyone making sure to thank them for the treat. Other breakfast type foods were also quickly cooked, Daiki and Inoo opting out of those in favor of retreating to their room—with the help of Yuto and Hikaru—for a nap. Shoon meanwhile, announced that there was to be a family meeting as soon as Inoo and Daiki woke, and he declared that none of them were to leave the house until after the meeting had been held. Everyone nodded obediently, and he smiled, thanking them for their cooperation before retreating back into his office, his face still holding concern in its features.

They didn't see their leader for the rest of the morning, Shoon not holding his usual study sessions, instead holed up in his office. Chinen spent the morning playing chess with Ryutaro, the other boys watching them play, betting on which one of them would win the match. It was a fierce game, both of them in it to win it, yet despite Ryutaro's competitive nature and his determination, Chinen came out victorious. Chinen felt the smile of triumph blooming on his face as he took Ryutaro's king piece in his fingers, snatching it off the board. The younger boy cursed, slumping into the couch in defeat, and Takaki let out a whoop, wrapping his arms around Chinen's shoulders from behind, hugging him. Chinen felt his smile grow bigger at the older boy's enthusiasm.

Daiki and Inoo slept for hours, and the rest of them all passed the time playing games. Poker was taken up by the older boys, Chinen joining in, attempting to teach Ryutaro while still maintaining his own bluff. It went about as well as was to be expected, managing to lose nearly all of his money in the first game. Once Ryutaro quit—running off to join Yuto and Yamada in some sort of wrestling game—Chinen managed to win all of his losses back and more, nearly managing to con Yabu out of his pants before the game was disrupted by Yuto pinning Ryutaro to the edge of the table, the jarring force with which he did so sending the poker game's materials flying, effectively killing the game.

Soon they all were wrestling, tackling each other, trying to force their opponent—or opponents—to the ground, tickling ferociously once they got him there. They inadvertently split up into teams, the ones that had been in the Kumi longest versus the newer members. It was a lot of fun, and the longer it went on the more swept up in it Chinen got. It wasn't long before they all forgot about the two sleeping boys upstairs, everyone yelling and squealing, their limbs thumping against furniture and banging against the floor as they wrestled.

It didn't take long after they started to get really loud for Inoo and Daiki to make their reappearance, obviously woken by the ruckus. The two of them supported each other, looking rather ridiculous as they made their careful way down the stairs. Inoo hobbled over to Shoon's office, peeking his head inside and announcing his—and Daiki's—return to consciousness. The mood immediately sobered up a bit as the ones wrestling untangled their bodies and pulled themselves to their feet, everyone conglomerating once more in the kitchen, taking their seats at the table. Shoon went with them, helping Inoo into his chair before taking his spot at the head of the table, his big knowledgeable eyes sweeping over their faces, and he sighed before beginning the meeting properly.

“I know many of you have noticed that in the past months the Wakaba Group have been getting more and more bold in their incursions into our territory. Their actions have been increasingly more violent, and I do not believe that this is a fluke. This is by their Kumi-cho—Wakaba Ichinojo —‘s design.” Chinen glanced around the table, slightly confused. Who was this Ichinojo guy? Most of the others seemed to know exactly who Shoon was talking about, but Ryutaro too looked confused, so Chinen piped up.

“Sorry—” He cut in, drawing everyone’s attention, some of them glaring at him for interrupting Shoon while the older boy was talking. Shoon however didn’t look angry, immediately giving Chinen his full attention. “—who is this Ichinojo person?” It was Yabu who answered him.

“He’s the Kumi-cho of the Wakaba Group’s kumi whose territory borders ours. He’s a demon of a man.” Oh. Chinen nodded, showing his understanding. Ryutaro did as well, looking mildly surprised by the hatred in Yabu’s usually light tone. Shoon, after a moment to see if anyone else had any questions, continued addressing the group.

“I have restrained in any retaliation in the light of the recent additions of Chinen and Ryutaro; they needed to settle in here, and grow and flourish—at least for a little while—before they were thrown into any battles.” Chinen pursed his lips. He didn’t want to be treated like a child. Shoon knew he could handle himself well in a fight. Their leader sighed, and almost as if in response to Chinen’s thoughts he adjusted his statement. “I _wanted_ them to get a chance at peace, and get a strong foundation here before we made any rash decisions. Yet I fear that decision is no longer mine to make. Ichinojo has been giving less and less regard to our territory boundaries, and I have been working with Kanbu Okamoto Kenichi, trying to find a diplomatic solution to solve this issue. There is no need for bloodshed.” That statement got mixed reactions. Some of them, like Yamada, seemed to agree with Shoon’s decision for a more peaceful negotiation, but others like Hikaru, seemed more willing to fight. These feelings were only shown in the barest flickering of emotion in the boy’s gazes, all quickly replaced by an unwavering trust and acceptance of Shoon’s decision.

“In the meantime, I have a few new temporary precautions I want to put in place until we can sort this threat out. I want everyone back home every night before sundown. I don’t want any of you going out alone, even just to the alley; always go in groups. Pairs are okay…but I’d prefer three or more. I just don’t want any of you to get hurt unnecessarily. The Wakaba, and especially Ichinojo, have no sense of chivalry, or honor, and as long as I am your leader I will protect you all to the best of my abilities. Hopefully I can get this matter dissolved swiftly, and we can get rid of these tedious precautions, but until then please bear with me.” His anxiety was clear on his face, and they all nodded, murmuring muted words of assent to his requests. Shortly after that the meeting ended, everyone dispersing to various corners of the house. Daiki and Inoo were taken back to their rooms, Shoon declaring them to be on prescribed bed rest for the next forty-eight hours. Neither of them protested.

Shoon seemed very busy the next few days, their young leader either holed up in his office, on the phone, or off at serious meetings. Hikaru took over working with some of the boys, practicing sparing—he never actually got to Chinen in the short spans of time, and instead spent a good deal of time with Ryutaro; perhaps the young boy had a lot he could improve upon. Meanwhile Yabu and Taiyo took over running the study sessions. They were abysmal teachers in all honesty, and the main thing they did was make sure that everyone actually attended that was supposed to, Chinen doing most of the teaching. Chinen was _loving_ the arrangement. He loved the way the other boys all looked at him, as if he was amazing, as if he was to be looked up to, to be listened to. As if he was the most important person in their world—because when it came to grammar and geometry, he was. It was kind of like the way they all looked at Shoon, he figured. It made him slightly envious of their leader. This little taste of authority suited him. He would give a lot to be in a position like Shoon's.

Inoo and Daiki stayed confined to their beds, as they'd been told to, but they seemed immensely bored. Many of the other boys would go up to their room to visit—Yamada, Yuto, and Yabu the most common visitors. They would go up there and keep them company, play games with them and bring them books to read and food to eat. It seemed that they mostly went for Inoo, not Daiki, and while that could seem cold hearted, Chinen understood. Daiki was rough and abrasive, hard to talk to and intimidating, and Inoo meanwhile was fun, easy mannered, and could be a chatterbox if he chose to. If Chinen was to go and visit, it would be to see Inoo, he thought, not Daiki.

One common topic that Taiyo hadn't let any of them forget was his _family portrait_ idea. The tall teen was bringing it up at every possible opportunity, and it was at one evening dinner that Shoon assured him they would take a photo—as soon as Inoo and Daiki were well enough to be up and moving around. After getting permission for his idea however, Taiyo didn't drop the subject. He instead began planning for the photo. He went around the house, trying to find the place that would best fit all of them, one that also had sufficient lighting. They were all getting rather annoyed by Taiyo's persistence with the subject, even Chinen joining in on teasing him about it sometimes, in the hope that it would get him to just _stop talking about it._ It usually worked, Taiyo either clamping his lips shut, and stalking off, or giggling sheepishly and allowing them to change the subject.

It didn't take long for his family portrait to be realized. Daiki and Inoo were allowed out of their beds two days after their confinement started, and so Shoon promised Taiyo they would take the picture before dinner that evening, much to Taiyo's excitement. Chinen caught Yabu talking to their housemate after Shoon had given him the news, asking

"What's the deal?"

"Huh?" Taiyo seemed completely surprised by the question, blinking down at Yabu confusedly.

"Why do you want us to take this picture so badly?" The older boy elaborated. Chinen leaned in, listening. It took Taiyo a moment to gather his thoughts, Yabu waiting patiently until he spoke.

"Because...we've been a family for so long—at first it was just the four of us, and then Yuto, and Inoo-chan and Daiki, and now finally our family is full." He paused, and it lasted for so long that Chinen thought that was the extent of Taiyo's thought process, but then he continued. "I want to take this picture to show that we're complete. We've gathered our team, our companions, and we're sticking together for life. I dunno, I guess it's just that...even if something happens, we'll always have our family portrait to show who we are right now." Yabu nodded, folding his hands on his thin stomach and leaning back into the couch.

"Okay." He gave his friend a small smile. "I can understand that, I guess." He shrugged. "I don't quite get what the big deal is, but...I'll stop complaining." It was Taiyo's turn to gripe, the taller teen shoving Yabu playfully and whining

"We're about to take the picture now; it doesn't matter anymore if you complain!" But Yabu must have gotten onto the rest of their housemates, because when it came time to take the family portrait they all complied without a single word of complaint, all of them listening as Shoon and Taiyo positioned them in the entryway to the kitchen, arranging them so that they could all be seen. Chinen was placed in the row closest to the camera, on the end nearest to the front door, next to Ryutaro. Behind him were Hikaru and Takaki, all of the taller—and older—boys in a row of six behind the four younger ones, their arms slung over each other's shoulders. Shoon retrieved a rather fancy looking camera from his office, telling them all not to move as he focused the lens, and Chinen heard Takaki's stomach growl behind him, sensed Ryutaro's impatience as the minute wore on, before finally there was the click of the shutter, and the photo was taken. Inoo let out a whoop at their success, everyone stretching and stepping out of their assigned positions. It was then that the door burst open and everything went to hell.


	15. Chapter 15

It happened in an instant. One moment everyone was relaxed and calm, and the next they were all tense, panic and fear running through them all like an electric current. There were people bursting into their home, people Chinen didn’t recognize. As soon as the strangers crossed the threshold Takaki shoved Chinen back further into the living room, Chinen knocking into Ryutaro as Takaki grabbed one of their attackers by the front of their shirt, aiming a punch at him with a yell. It only took a few more moments before they all were swept up in the fighting, the downstairs area filling up with the bodies of unfamiliar assailants, and Chinen understood that these people were those Wakaba that the rest of them always talked about.

He braced himself, listening to the curses Ryutaro was murmuring harshly under his breath behind him as a girl barely bigger than him threw herself at him, screeching wildly. Chinen pushed himself back, arching into a handstand and kicking out with a foot, but she grabbed at it and latched on, her nails digging harshly into his ankle, and she yanked on it, pulling him off balance and toppling him to the floor. She kicked at his ribs, still holding his ankle, and he let out a yelp, kicking wildly, trying to get her to let go of him. One of his kicks connected with her ankles, tripping her, and she toppled over on him, her body connecting hard with his own. After that it was easy to flip their positions, and he grabbed her harshly by the hair, bashing her head into the floor a few times before pulling himself to his feet.

Chinen immediately felt a strong pair of arms wrap around his own, keeping him from being able to use them, and he was lifted off of his feet, pinned against someone much larger than himself. He heard a roar from behind him, and suddenly the grip slackened, and he wriggled free, spinning around to see what had happened. It was Daiki, the older boy had his arms around their enemy’s throat, his eyes wild, and the other boy had released Chinen to claw at Daiki’s arms, Chinen’s housemate not showing any sign of letting go. Chinen leaned, kicking the Wakaba guy high in the ribs, doubling him over and slugging him in the face as soon as it was at his level, the teen finally collapsing, Daiki releasing his grip on him. Daiki didn’t even acknowledge Chinen, just turning his back and throwing himself at a new enemy.

Chinen’s eyes immediately scanned the room, searching for Takaki or Ryutaro. It was hard to find anyone really. It was chaos, bodies filling the space, furniture toppled over. The sounds of bone hitting bone, bone hitting walls or the floor joined by shouts and curses, the noises combined a confusing desperate, deafening cage, making him feel rather claustrophobic. Everyone was taller than him to his frustration, and he couldn’t see over any of their heads. He quickly gave up, just diving for the closest enemy’s legs, causing the boy to tumble into the back of their couch. Chinen spun, kicking out and nailing the boy in the face with his foot, falling out of the spin and lunging, punching him in the stomach. The enemy used his closeness and kicked out, slamming his large foot into Chinen’s pelvis, sending him toppling over into someone else, the cursing underneath him a familiar sound—Ryutaro.

He rolled off of his friend, pulling himself to his feet just as their enemy attacked, and he’d expected the bigger teen to go for him, but he didn’t, instead he took advantage of Ryu’s moment of weakness, still on the ground, and he slammed a kick to the younger boy’s skull, Ryu immediately stilling. Chinen felt fear and bile mixing unpleasantly in the back of his throat, and he screamed, grabbing the guy and pulling fiercely, using his body as a means to reach his neck, and he wrapped his legs around the bastard’s throat, squeezing with his thighs, his arms wrapped around the enemy’s stomach, keeping himself in place. It wasn’t long before the man crumpled to the floor, but Chinen crumpled with him, pinned under the much larger body, now dead weight.

He was trapped, stuck under this larger boy, unable to move. He was near Ryu, nearly close enough to touch him, and he noted with much relief that the younger boy was still breathing, his chest rising and falling steadily, and Chinen felt a wave of hope rise in him that—despite the fact that he’d been knocked unconscious—Ryutaro would pull through and be okay. Throughout this Chinen struggled against the body above him, yelling and pushing, and the guy groaned, obviously beginning to come to consciousness, and Chinen panicked a bit, not liking the idea of still being stuck here under this guy when he finally woke up.

Finally, he managed to roll the guy off of him, and he spun around, his heart rising is his throat as he caught sight of Shoon going down, swarmed by Wakaba members, their strong leader’s body stained in red as he collapsed. Chinen made to go over there, wanting to see if Shoon would be okay, wanting to make those boys pay for what they had done, but he had barely taken a step before a new sound rang out, harshly silencing everything else. The sound of a gun going off. Everyone seemed to freeze, friend and foe all looking for the source of the noise. Then, Hikaru was yelling, cursing and crying, and Chinen caught sight of his tattooed housemate standing by the foot of the stairs, a man he’d never seen before standing a meter away, his eyes wild, a gun in his hand. But it wasn’t Hikaru that had been shot; it was only once Hikaru crouched down that Chinen noticed the crumpled form at Hikaru’s feet.

The man with the gun motioned for his people to go, and one by one they all filed out, Hikaru taking a step as if to attack the man, but he raised his gun, aiming it pointedly at Hikaru’s face. Chinen found himself freezing in fear as Hikaru too stilled, his fists clenched, tears already beginning to roll down his cheeks as he stood silently and let the enemy go. The man with the gun was the last to leave, emptying out the house to let Chinen and his housemates to deal with the destruction they’d left in their wake. It seemed to Chinen a complete disaster.

Hikaru was still beside himself, and he crouched over the person crumpled by the stairs, talking to them. As Chinen made to join him he scanned the room, taking into account all of his other housemates, feeling himself become upset as he looked for Takaki. Shoon and Ryutaro were both unconscious on the floor, but they were breathing visibly. Yamada was curled up on the floor, and he looked extremely disturbed, Yuto crouching over him, talking to his friend softly. Yuto had a long gash running across his forehead and down to his left ear, and he had blood running down his face, but he was on his feet, and he didn’t seem to be paying his injury any mind.

Yabu was in a heap by the kitchen, but as Chinen approached he started pulling himself to his feet, one shoulder at an awkward angle, obviously dislocated. He was whimpering, favoring that side of his body, and Takaki came out of the kitchen to help him, pulling him to his feet. Daiki and Inoo meanwhile, were covered in blood right by the front door, their legs tangled in those of the dining chairs, their already bruised and battered forms now sporting new areas swelling. Chinen couldn’t tell if they were conscious or not, his housemates leaned up against one another, their eyes most of the way closed, heads hung in fatigue. All of this was taken in quickly, one sweep of Chinen’s eyes as he made his way over to where Hikaru was visibly panicking, and as soon as Chinen got over to his housemate he understood why.

It was Taiyo. He was on his back at the foot of the stairs, his legs propped up, bent at the knee, and his face was scrunched up in pain, his breathing shallow. Hikaru had one hand on their tall housemate’s torso, right around where the bottom of his ribs were, and blood was seeping out from under Hikaru’s palm, bathing his fingertips in red. Taiyo had his face scrunched up in pain, and he was whimpering slightly, obviously trying not to panic. Chinen froze, his whole body seizing up as he took in what he was seeing. Hikaru was murmuring to Taiyo, trying to be reassuring, but tears were streaming from his eyes, dripping off of the end of his nose, and when he looked up his voice was slightly hysterical as he said

“MAYO?!” Chinen had heard a couple of the older boys call Shoon that on occasion, and he had the presence of mind to say

“He’s not…he’s unconscious.” His words had barely been spoken before Yabu made it to Taiyo’s side, and he crouched down with Hikaru, adding his left hand to Hikaru’s right, putting more pressure on Taiyo’s wound. Chinen felt sick as Hikaru glanced back over at his wounded friend, obviously terrified, even more so now that Shoon couldn’t help him, and Chinen just watched as Yabu caught Yuto’s attention, waving for him to come over and help them. Yuto immediately got to his feet, and as he passed Chinen he caught him by the arm, motioning to Yamada, who was still curled in on himself, his face carrying a haunted, tormented look on it.

“Help Yama-chan.” He muttered, obviously concerned for his friend, and Chinen nodded, grateful that he was given something to do. He made his way over to Yamada, crouching down next to him, and he reached out to touch him, but Yamada flinched away, cowering, and Chinen froze.

“Yamada, are you hurt?” He asked, trying to be patient, bewildered by the older boy’s actions. Yamada didn’t look really hurt. He had some bruises forming, his jawline swelling in one area, but he looked good compared to the majority of them. Yamada looked over at him with big, scared eyes, not really saying anything, and Chinen crossed his legs, sitting down next to him on the floor properly, and as he did so a wail of pain came from Taiyo’s direction. He looked over there on instinct.

Yuto, Takaki, Yabu, and Hikaru were all around their injured housemate, and one of them must have fetched a medical kit because they had one propped open next to him, and as Chinen watched Yuto flinched, pulling his hands away from Taiyo’s torso, and he could see that they were completely covered in blood. The boys crowded around Taiyo were all talking lowly, Chinen unable to make out the words, but their tones were all serious. Yamada too was looking that way, and Chinen figured that the stress of Taiyo’s injury couldn’t be helping the emotional state Yamada was in, so he diverted his attention, asking this time

“Yamada, what happened?” That drew his housemate’s focus, and Chinen flinched as another yell came from Taiyo’s lips, muttered curses quick to follow, but he refused to look, trying to focus on Yamada. Trying to help.

“He—he came for me. He’ll come again.” Yamada murmured. “He’s after me, he—” Yamada was visibly shaking now, and Chinen decided to drop the questioning. Yamada wasn’t making any sense, and the older boy was obviously becoming more upset.

“You’re okay now.” Chinen said, trying to remember the way Shoon had spoken to him when the Kumi-cho had comforted him after their first sparring session. Trying to recall the things their leader had said to make him feel at ease. “No one’s going to hurt you here. You’re safe.” He repeated those things, and the calmer Yamada got, the harder it became to drown out the noises coming from the group surrounding Taiyo. As Yamada grew calmer, they grew more and more frantic, their voices full of tension and grief and panic, and it filled him with a nauseating sense of dread, a choking fear clawing up his own throat that he fought to keep off of his face and out of his voice until Yamada unfurled himself and pulled himself to his feet, and they both walked over to where Taiyo was still lying by the stairs, surrounded by their housemates.

There was blood _everywhere_. They all had it up their arms to their elbows, smeared on their faces and their shirts, and it was pooling on the floor around their tallest housemate, saturated in what remained of his clothes—they had cut most of his shirt away, revealing his wound, a small seemingly infinitely deep hole in his chest. Chinen found himself gawking in morbid shock. Taiyo looked pale, his eyes shut, his lips blue as if from the cold, consciousness obviously gone. Yuto had his fingers buried in Taiyo’s wound, his face screwed up in concentration, and as Chinen watched he pulled them away with a triumphant squeak, a small slightly deformed piece of blood soaked metal clutched between his fingers.

“Chinen, can you grab me the gauze?” Yabu asked, and Chinen tore his eyes away and went to the medical supplies kit, digging around for a few moments before pulling away with the item he’d been asked to retrieve in his hands. But when he turned back to his housemates he could tell that something had changed in those moments. Something wasn’t right; Takaki, who had been squatting by Taiyo’s neck—one hand monitoring their companion’s pulse—was shaking his head, tears running down his cheeks, and a choked sob fell from his lips. The rest of them were completely still, before Hikaru said in a small voice

“No…no.” He had a hand on Taiyo’s chest, and he put the other one next to Takaki’s, searching desperately for a sign of life. Yuto let out a choked wail, his fingers closing into a fist around the bullet he’d just dug out from his friend’s body, and his sobs were quickly joined by those of Yabu and Takaki. Hikaru meanwhile, wasn’t giving up. He checked Taiyo’s eyes to see if they dilated in the light, and he leaned in, hoping to feel breath on his cheek. But he too was already crying, and after a minute of increasingly frantic searching for signs of life he wrapped his arms around Taiyo’s shoulders, pulling his body to his chest as he cried, his tears accompanied by the harsh wails of grief already spilling from his companions lips.

Chinen’s vision was distorted by tears, and he knew he was contributing to the awful sounds of distress filling the air, but the horrible noise came from deep inside of him, and it seemed the only way he could express his pain. He’d never in his life felt any emotion as strongly as he felt right now, and it was a truly horrid thing; this suffocating mix of shock, pain, and sadness. He sought Takaki out, clinging to the older boy, and Takaki wrapped him fiercely in his arms, as if he could shield Chinen from the pain that was hitting them all. As if there was some escape from the harsh reality that had overwhelmed them. As if he clung to Chinen strongly enough, Taiyo would open his eyes again. But no amount of clinging, or crying, or wailing changed the harsh fact that Taiyo was dead.


	16. Chapter 16

The rest of the boys were all patched up hastily, no one daring to attempt to move Taiyo. Hikaru and Yuto remained by Taiyo’s side, and Yabu was the first to pull away, grabbing Takaki and Chinen and dragging them over to Daiki and Inoo, forcing them to help their companions. It was all done numbly, with shaking hands and empty minds, and their tears did not stop as they worked. They got Daiki and Inoo aware enough to stumble up to their beds, Chinen unable to block out the harsh shocked cursing as they both caught sight of Taiyo. It just made him cry harder. Ryutaro was carried to his room by Takaki, Yamada going with him to keep an eye on his younger housemate. Yamada looked like he was about to collapse from the emotional strain the evening had taken on him.

Yuto’s forehead gash was seen to, Yabu forcing the younger boy to sit still as he washed it out, and by the time they’d gotten to taking care of Yuto, Hikaru had the presence of mind to go over to him, and he whispered words of comfort as Yabu worked, gently rubbing his arms and stroking his hair, and though Hikaru’s words were said through choked tears, they seemed to help, Yuto crawling into Hikaru’s lap and even falling asleep as Yabu worked on applying the bandage he needed. Chinen was looked over, but aside from some swelling and new bruises he had fared well, and it wasn’t until last that they had the presence of mind to tend to Shoon. Chinen understood; Shoon seemed so invincible, him getting hurt was nearly unthinkable. Yet he was still unconscious when Chinen got to bed that night.

In the morning Chinen couldn’t remember how he fell asleep, much less got to his room. That trend continued for the rest of the week, the days passing by numbly, and as if he was in a trance he’d have this flash of clarity, and he would find himself wondering just how he had gotten to where he was. There was a wake for Taiyo, and after a funeral, and everyone well enough to attend did. A couple of older men joined them for the ceremony that Chinen didn’t recognize, but Takaki informed him they were higher ups from their group. They all had black suits and solemn expressions, and they did seem genuinely sad at the loss of the tall boy. Despite that there was something different about them; a wall separated them from Chinen and the other boys that lived in the Kumi house. They didn’t hold the empty look in their eyes that the rest of them did.

Chinen’s housemates all had a _nothingness_ in their faces, their eyes bottomless black voids that swallowed all light and life and let the onlooker see that inside they were empty, save for grief and pain. It was a look that Chinen had never seen on a person’s face before, but one he was coming to recognize; one that hit him the hardest whenever he saw it in his own eyes the few times he caught his reflection in a mirror. The loss of Taiyo was a constant thing, reminders of him in everything they did, in everything Chinen saw, and he couldn’t imagine—if it was this hard for him—what some of the others were going through.

They were all quiet. It was as if the action of forcing words past their lips was exhausting, some of them going full days without speaking, only letting out the occasional high pitched, mournful sigh pit itself in the backs of their throats. Most of them spent their free time holed up in their rooms, only coming together for dinner. Dinner, once the loudest part of the day, too was now completely void of conversation, everyone’s eyes on their plates, eating in silence before dispersing swiftly. Chinen always felt uncomfortable even attempting to talk when he was in a room with his housemates, only talking whenever he was alone with just one other person. Shoon spent a great deal of time with them. He invited them all individually into his office, and told them that his door was always open, should they want to talk. Chinen never went to him, instead just sitting with the little shrine they’d set up for Taiyo in a small unused area off of the laundry room sometimes; but he knew that some of the others did, and he was grateful for their leader’s compassion.

Chinen himself spent all of his time either wrapped up in Takaki’s arms, or curled up next to Ryutaro in his bed, the younger boy having come to consciousness around midday following the raid. Takaki seemed to find Chinen’s presence therapeutic, even in the times where Chinen was crying he didn’t push him away, and they spent all of their time together touching in some manner, the silent support seeming to do Takaki a lot of good. Takaki got even more careless about who saw their displays of affection, kissing Chinen, or murmuring needy words into his ear even when someone else was nearby. Chinen didn’t really mind, so long as it helped his friend. At least, he didn’t until one evening in late November.

Over a month had passed since that fateful day in October, and Chinen was finding that he was—despite his original notion that this grieving was going to be a new, never ending presence in his life—able to talk leisurely with Ryu, and when he did he felt a lightness in his chest that seemed alien, in the most positive way. He felt alive when they were together. It was like when Ryutaro was around he could relax. It was like when Ryutaro was around, he could be happy. He found himself even smiling a few times, and when he’d lean into the younger boy’s side Ryu would lean back, or—if he was in a really good mood—sling an arm over Chinen’s shoulders, letting Chii snuggle into his chest. Somehow whenever Ryu did it it felt different, better, than when Takaki did. It felt like healing, and it felt good.

This particular afternoon they were both sitting on Ryutaro’s bed—the top of a set of bunks—with their legs crossed comfortably, knobby knees touching, and Chinen had taken the opportunity to wrap Ryu's sheets around himself, cocooning him in warmth. There was a lull in the discussion when Ryutaro glanced over at Chinen, his eyes serious, and he said

"I was wondering something." Chinen nodded for him to continue. "You and Takaki-kun...you sleep in the same bed." He paused. "Even though there's a separate one for you." Chinen blinked, confused as to where this was going. When Ryutaro didn't elaborate, he said

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Well...I don't know. It's just...I don't understand it I guess. What kind of relationship do you two have?" He seemed genuinely concerned, his eyebrows furrowed together, lips pursed slightly, and Chinen tried to think of the best way to explain Takaki to Ryu.

“Yuya…I mean, Takaki and I are friends. He took me in and took care of me, and he’s the reason that I’m here. He brought me here, and he’s helped me a lot. He was my first ever friend, and he cares about me a lot. He’s taught me a lot of things.”

“He taught _you_ things?” Ryutaro sounded skeptical. Chinen nodded, thinking of all of the skills Takaki had shown him in the privacy of their bedroom, the things the older teen could do with his lips. But that wasn’t all, he mused. Takaki had taught him how to trust, how to care for someone, and what it felt like to be cared for. He’d taught Chinen what happiness and contentment felt like, and those were things Chinen knew he was a better person for.

“He’s been a wonderful friend to me.” Chinen murmured. Ryutaro blinked, still not looking quite satisfied with the answer, and after a moment he asked tentatively

“So…you two are just friends? There’s no…there’s nothing else?” Chinen sent him a confused look. Ryu was slightly pink in the face. “I just…Yuto told me that you two are…Takaki-kun is overly friendly with you—kissing you and stuff—and Yuto said…” He was struggling with the words, his hands balled into fists on his knees, and Chinen suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him too, and a slight mortification as to just _what_ Yuto had told Ryu. Did he tell Ryutaro about the sex? How would he know? Chinen’s thoughts were racing now, and Ryutaro finally got out what he was trying to say, confirming his fears. “…he said you two are fucking.” Ryu scoffed at once, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself. “But that’s not right, is it? You’re not a couple; you’re just friends.”

“We _are_ just friends, Ryu—” Chinen immediately saw Ryutaro begin to relax, but he wasn’t done. “—but we are fucking.” Chinen watched as Ryutaro grew even more tense than before he’d asked his question, the younger boy jolting back in surprise, his face twisting in obvious distaste, and he immediately said

“No.” Chinen felt like he was about to cry. He didn’t understand why he felt so destroyed by the disgust Ryutaro was displaying. “I mean….that’s just…Chinen, you’re—” He fell into silence, the two of them quiet, Chinen shaking his bangs in front of his face to hide his eyes in the hope that Ryu wouldn’t notice this strange upheaval of _shame_ in his chest. He didn’t understand it. It wasn’t like he’d done anything wrong. He took a deep shaky breath, and then another, and then after a minute or two of silence Ryutaro spoke again. “Chii…I want to be a good friend and support your decision; and I’m glad you told me, but…I don’t like it.” His voice was strong with the force of an opinion he believed in.

“You said you’re just friends, but friends don’t do stuff like that with each other. And I know I have no right to tell you what to do, and I know you’re older and way smarter than me, but the thought of him touching you like that…” A sound similar to a growl escaped the younger boy’s throat. “…it just makes me really angry.” There was another pause, as Ryutaro seemed to conceptualize another possibility. “Are you in love with him, Chinen?” His voice was gruff, but his eyes were wide and Chinen was shocked by the anxiety in that electrifying gaze. He hadn’t expected the reaction Ryutaro was giving him to all of this, and he quickly shook his head.

“No. I used to think I was, but…I’m not. I never was.”

“Then—why?” Chinen shrugged.

“It wasn’t like it hurt anybody.” How upset Ryutaro obviously was, and the irony of the statement wasn’t lost on him, but it was the truth. He had sex with Takaki because it was fun, and it wasn’t as if there were any repercussions—quite the opposite. A lot of good things had come out of fucking Takaki, and it had made him feel good. Takaki obviously liked it. Right now though, he felt a little sick. It was at that moment however, that Takaki himself peeked his head into the room, a warm smile on his face as he looked up at Chinen, catching his eye, and announcing—oblivious to the mood

“Dinner’s ready! C’mon Chii, it’s really good tonight.” Chinen nodded, unfurling himself from the blankets he’d wrapped around his body and hopping down, deliberately not looking back at Ryu. Takaki wound an arm around his shoulders, and he automatically leaned into the warm embrace, despite the spike of guilt he felt in his stomach at the action, Ryutaro’s words echoing in his ears.

A couple of days passed, and he could not forget the way Ryutaro had looked, the words his younger friend had said. But Ryutaro was, for the most part, pretending that the conversation had never happened. It consumed so much of his attention in fact, that he was completely taken by surprise one morning when he came down for breakfast and Shoon said with more enthusiasm than he had displayed in weeks

“Chinen! Happy birthday!” Chinen just blinked in surprise. Takaki looked down at him, eyebrows up.

“It’s your birthday? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I…I forgot.” It was the truth too. He hadn’t noticed the date approaching, too caught up in his grieving and the awful emptiness of their home to realize that he was getting older. And now, suddenly, he was thirteen.

“We’re going to celebrate.” Shoon said, sounding determined. Chinen was skeptical; they weren’t really in much of a celebratory mood, and he’d never done anything for his birthday before, so it wasn’t like he expected anything. But Shoon insisted, saying that it was something they did as a family, and since he was a member of their family, he should get his birthday commemorated. Shoon tried to rope some of the other boys into helping him prepare, their leader rushing around; cooking and cleaning and trying to ensure that the birthday celebration was a success. Chinen didn’t see Takaki or Ryu all day, and despite how hard Shoon obviously tried, it was—in Chinen’s blunt opinion—absolutely wretched.

None of their housemates wanted to pretend to be happy, the lot of them doing anything Shoon asked them to do, but with an obvious lack of sincerity. Even Shoon, despite how hard he tried, couldn’t hide the grief in his eyes, the sadness still working its way onto his face. They might all like Chinen, he didn’t doubt that, but no one was in the mood to celebrate the passing of time, the growing of age—not when Taiyo would never have another birthday. They all were still silent throughout dinner, no one else wishing Chinen a happy birthday, and even afterwards, when the cake was brought out, they said nothing, Chinen fighting back tears of embarrassment as Shoon tried to get the group of thoroughly depressed and grieving boys to sing, and Ryutaro grabbed his hand under the table, giving it a comforting squeeze, the younger boy singing under his breath, just for Chinen to hear. No one even wanted a piece of cake.

Chinen thought the miserable affair was over after the cake was rejected, but no, Shoon moved them all to the living room, insisting that Chinen open his presents. This caught Chinen off guard. He had presents? They sat in silence as Chinen opened his gifts. From Yamada and Yuto he’d gotten some clothes that no longer fit, handed down. From Shoon he got a set of books, they were big, nonfiction works on all sorts of topics. It was a thoughtful gift, each book over a different subject he’d shown an interest in, and he thanked his leader for the volumes, promising to read them. From Takaki he got a set of pajamas, deep blue and silky, they were obviously expensive, and Takaki seemed quite proud of his gift, nodding happily as Chinen thanked him.

The last thing was from Ryu, and the younger boy just handed it to him, the small item not wrapped. It was a black and white photo of his family, a picture of the four of them taken the day Saya had gone to live with his aunt. It was the last picture they’d ever taken as a family. He’d seen a color copy hanging in his family home. He felt tears welling up in his eyes as he looked into the faces of the people he had left behind. He’d thought he hadn’t missed them, but seeing them struck him, and he couldn’t help but wonder how they were, wonder what they were doing now. Wonder if they missed him at all. Mostly though, he wanted to know how the hell Ryutaro had gotten his hands on the photograph.

“I found out who they were when I looked your name up online, at an internet café. I found that in an article—something about your dad’s career—and then I just took it to a photo developer.” Ryutaro explained before he could ask, the younger boy looking embarrassed. “I kinda thought that even if you don’t like your family, you should have a picture of them.” Chinen was touched by the thought put into the gift, and he thanked Ryu as the party was declared over by Inoo, the rest of the boys scattering like rats fleeing from a flaming building. Shoon sighed, and Chinen heard him wondering to himself if perhaps they should just hold off on celebrations of any kind for a while.

Shortly afterwards Takaki took Chinen to bed, promising that they’d have their own birthday celebration, that he’d make Chinen feel good. But Chinen didn’t enjoy the sex like he usually did, instead he just thought of Ryutaro, of the thoughtful present he’d given Chinen, and of the way Ryutaro had told him he disapproved of his sexual relationship with Takaki, and as he came in Takaki’s broad hand, all he felt was regret and guilt, as if he was betraying Ryutaro. That night after the sex was over and Takaki was asleep, he decided, as he cried a bit to himself, that he hated birthday celebrations.


	17. Chapter 17

It didn’t take long for Chinen to decide he had to do something about his guilt. He was already unhappy, already miserable; he didn’t need to feel bad every time Takaki pressed their lips together too. He complained to Taiyo’s picture, lighting some incense and sitting at the older boy’s shrine, wondering what he could do. It only took him a few days to figure out what it was. He could just stop kissing Takaki. He could stop having sex with Takaki. Sure, they had met because they had fucked, but Takaki had told him numerous times that he liked Chinen more than just the fucking, and Chinen had come to believe his friend. Most friends didn’t sleep together, of that much he was certain, and as they were just friends, it shouldn’t be hard for Takaki to accept his decision.

Just the thought of no longer having to worry about Takaki’s hot hands on his bare skin, or his lips pressing needy kisses down his neck, made Chinen feel relieved, and it was then that he realized that this was something he really wanted to do. It strengthened his resolve, and so, only a few days after his birthday, he sat down with Takaki in their room, his mind made up. Takaki was obviously oblivious to Chinen’s thought process, the older teen just sitting there on the edge of the bed, Chinen sitting next to him, and he seemed completely at ease until Chinen declared

“Yuyan, I don’t want to have sex with you anymore.” Takaki immediately went stiff at the blunt statement, his whole body tense, and he glanced over at Chinen, his eyes wide with surprise. Chinen had expected some immediate questioning perhaps, anything but this silence Takaki was treating him to. They sat there quietly for a while, before Takaki asked

"Why?" _Why?_ Chinen had known this would be an uncomfortable conversation, but that didn't make it any easier.

"I just...don't want to. I don't enjoy it anymore. The sex is just...not fun. I feel bad when we do it, and I don't want to associate that with you. I really want to keep being your friend, Yuyan. But I can't keep doing this."

"How..." Takaki paused, his voice holding in it a high quiver that took Chinen off guard. "How long have you felt this way, Chii? I haven't been...forcing myself on you, have I?"

"No!" Chinen put a hand on Takaki's arm, voice sharp. That wasn't at all what he wanted Takaki to think. "No, this is a recent thing. As soon as I made up my mind I came and told you. It's not a rushed decision, but I've been completely consenting whenever we fucked, I promise that." Takaki nodded, some of the fear in his expression draining away. He wasn't looking at Chinen, instead he had his eyes focused on the juncture where the wall met the floor, staring hard at that one spot.

"So what do you want from me then?" He asked. "You said you want to still be friends; but you don't want to have sex. So then what do you want? Are there any other changes you want to make?"

"I just want a normal friendship. Like Daiki and Inoo—"

"You know that Inoo is completely in love with Daiki though, right?" Takaki butt in. Chinen frowned.

"Okay. Then like Hikaru and Yabu, or something. I just want to do what normal friends do. I don't want to do anything that couples do—no kissing, or fucking—that's all."

"Right." Takaki's throat seemed tight, and for the first time Chinen began to think that perhaps Takaki was actually much more upset by Chii's declaration than he was trying to let on. Takaki sighed, and he asked quietly

"Okay...just...give me a minute, will you?"

"You okay?" Chinen frowned, letting one hand travel up Takaki's arm, concerned.

"Yeah...yeah. I'm fine." Takaki sniffed. "I just need a moment. I'm glad you told me, Chinen." Chinen pulled himself to his feet.

"Okay." He gave Takaki's hand a squeeze, and left the room, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as he shut the door. He'd done it. He didn't have to worry about the guilt anymore. He was free. It wasn't quite as elating as he'd thought it would be, but it was still definitely the right decision. It was what he needed to do, for himself.

That evening Takaki went out without him for the first time since Chinen had moved in. He grabbed an obviously-still-very-depressed-Yabu and the two of them went off into the night after dinner. Everyone seemed to be mildly confused by their departure, but none were immensely concerned. They all dispersed for the most part, Shoon and Hikaru sitting up in the kitchen, talking quietly. Chinen himself just curled up on the couch in Ryutaro's lap, and it was then that he decided to inform Ryu of the conversation he and Takaki had had earlier that day. Ryutaro was telling him about his most recent visit to see Shintaro, and Chinen waited until he was finished before he announced

"I have something to tell you." Ryu peered down at him in surprise, waiting patiently for Chinen to continue.

"You do?"

"Yes. So...d'you remember that conversation we had...when was it? Um...five or so days ago? The one about...Takaki and I." Ryutaro was visibly less happy, now wary as to what Chinen was going to say.

"Fuck, Chii. Yeah, I remember."

"Well I just thought you'd want to know that we're not fucking anymore. I broke it off with him." Chinen looked up at Ryu, excited to see what the younger boy's reaction would be. He wasn't disappointed, Ryutaro's face slowly blooming into a huge smile.

"Shit. Really? When?"

"Today. I decided to just do it." Chinen knew he was smiling back. Ryutaro wrapped his arms around Chinen, hugging him tightly, and he said

"I'm so glad, Chii. You have no idea—thank you." Chinen didn't understand it, but somehow seeing Ryutaro smile like that, and knowing how happy he'd made the other boy, made the decision seem like the best idea he'd ever had, and he knew that as long as Ryutaro kept smiling like that, he'd never regret anything.

From there the conversation drifted back off into other, less important things, and the night wore on, Chinen not keen on returning to his room and trying to figure out if he was still welcome in the big bed or not. But they both grew tired, and it didn't take long for them to start nodding off there on the couch. It was past midnight when Shoon and Hikaru roused them from their sleep, ushering them up the stairs and willing them to go and get in their beds. Chinen was just thinking that was an amazing idea—regardless of where he slept—when there was a scuffling sound coming from the front door, the knob jiggling erratically for a moment before it opened, Yabu and Takaki pouring in.

It was immediately obvious that something was off, Chinen pausing in his ascent up the stairs, while Hikaru and Shoon diverted their attentions to the new arrivals. Their movements were sluggish, especially Yabu's, the lanky teen leaning into Takaki, his eyes glassy, dried tear tracks down his cheeks. Takaki had one arm around Yabu's tiny waist, holding him up, and both Hikaru and Shoon's expressions quickly went from confused to concerned.

"Takaki—what happened?" Shoon asked, as Hikaru instead cooed softly

"Yabuchii?" Yabu made a grunting noise, a few new tears leaking from his eyes before he leaned over, vomiting violently onto the living room floor, his sick splatting in a grotesque noise as it hit, and Chinen averted his eyes, as the noxious stench of alcohol mixed with stomach acid hit his nostrils, and he had to hold back the urge to vomit himself. Chinen found himself frozen there, nearly all of the way up the stairs, and he wasn't the only one, Hikaru down below just standing still as Yabu continues to empty the contents of his stomach on their floor.

Takaki was still holding Yabu up for the most part, and Shoon had the presence of mind to dash for a bucket from under the sink, but by the time he had fetched it and returned to their housemate's side the majority of Yabu's stomach's contents were no longer on his inside; instead they're down his shoes and splayed all along the living room floor. Hikaru was wide eyed, his gaze taking in everything Yabu's just dispelled from his body in a mute sort of shock. And Yabu was just crying, tears streaming down his cheeks, his sobs sharp and loud, and he was still bent half over, facing the floor, and as he cried his body convulsed, trying to still throw up a few more times, not managing to force anything else out, his stomach finally empty.

There was a heavy silence, Yabu's sobs quickly turning into little _'hic'_s, and deep breaths. Then, after a moment Shoon spoke, voice obviously barely controlled as he stepped around the puddle of stomach contents and maneuvered Yabu away from Takaki.

"Hikaru, please take him to my bathroom and clean him up as best you can." Hikaru nodded, his eyes wide with shock, and he's visibly upset with the state Yabu is in, but he doesn't say anything, just taking the older boy by the arm and leading him in the direction of Shoon's living quarters. It's only once Yabu is out of the room that Shoon gives any of his attention to Takaki at all, their leader treating Takaki to the most petrifying glare Chinen had ever seen. Shoon was positively livid; Chinen had never seen him so angry, and he watched as Shoon slapped Takaki harshly across the face, his fury clear in his eyes.

"What the _hell,_ Takaki?!" Takaki wasn't looking at Shoon, his gaze on the floor. "You took him out and got him drunk?! Why? You're both sixteen, where did you even get the alcohol?" There was a silence, Shoon waiting for Takaki to talk. After a moment he prompted "Answer me."

"We were just going out to try and forget about...about all of it. We just wanted to have some fun." Takaki mumbled, Chinen barely able to hear him, straining to listen. Shoon sighed, as if too tired, and too upset to keep being angry.

"You wanted to have some fun? Getting that drunk isn't fun; it's scary. Takaki, you understand that drinking like _that_—" He gestured to the door that Yabu and Hikaru had disappeared through. "—kills people, right?" The sadness in his eyes was striking, and Chinen found that he too had to look away. There was a silence, and Chinen assumed Takaki must have made some sign of understanding, because Shoon continued "Just...I know how you're feeling, and I understand the appeal of trying to numb the world out for a while, but Takaki this was foolish and reckless. If something was to happen to either of you—ever, but _especially_ at a time like this—it would be devastating for all of us. Think of the Kumi." He sighed, putting a gentle had under Takaki's chin, raising his face and forcing his gaze up.

"You're surrounded by people who care about you, you know. Please don't do things like this. You can rely on us. On me." Takaki nodded the smallest of nods, and Shoon let his hand drop, glancing again toward the door that Yabu and Hikaru had left through. "Don't worry, I'm going to chew him out thoroughly once he's sober. I'm not placing all of the blame on you, so please don't feel that way." Another small nod. It was then that Chinen decided he really should just go to bed, and he turned away, ascending the few stairs he had before him and padding as quietly as he could to the room he shared with Takaki.

He felt a slight, judging guilt pressing on him, a fear that _he_ was the reason this had happened. That it was because of his conversation with Takaki that he'd gone out with Yabu tonight. He let out a small whine, anxious about that thought, but he didn't think he could ask Takaki, and so he would never know. Regardless, he figured he was not welcome in Takaki's bed any longer, and so he crawled into the smaller bed, the sheets cold on his skin, the mattress unfamiliar under his body, yet he managed, somehow, to fall asleep.

In the days to come Yabu and Takaki would still occasionally go out late at night, but they never returned home drunk, the way they had at the beginning of the month. Takaki was obviously cautious around Chinen, the older boy seemed to be hyper aware of any brush of their skin, and while _before_ they'd stand practically smushed into each other's sides, now there was a measured distance, and Takaki would not touch him in any affectionate manner. It was a little bit lonely, but it was what Chinen had asked for, and he appreciated the effort. Aside from that though, nothing else changed; his nickname still fell easily from Takaki's lips, and they still could talk and smile and play games together. Overall, it was a good change, Chinen thought.

December wore on, the shops in town decorating for the holidays, Christmas in the air. Chinen was expecting them to completely ignore the holiday. He didn't really celebrate Christmas, and considering how disastrous his birthday had been he figured that December twenty-fifth would pass by unnoticed. He was greatly surprised therefore, when one evening in mid-December Shoon asked during dinner

"So...do you guys feel up for Christmas?" It was strange to hear someone talk at the table. They still were eating silent meals, the grieving having not allowed for light conversation for so long that it seemed alien _to_ talk. Chinen didn't seem to be the only one that found it weird. Most of them were staring at their leader, fingers lax on their chopsticks. Shoon paused, and then once he realized no one was going to respond he said "I know that no one's been feeling very celebratory recently—that's why we skipped over Hikaru's birthday—" Chinen glanced over at Hikaru in surprise. He'd been completely unaware that the older boy's birthday had come and gone. "—and I was planning on ignoring mine, but well...it's _Christmas_ so I thought I'd ask." There was a small silence before Yamada said quietly

"I...I love Christmas. If everyone is up for it, I think it would be really great to get a tree and everything." Yuto was nodding in agreement as his friend spoke.

"I want to do it!" He declared, and Yamada smiled over at him. Yuto glanced over at the empty space next to him, where Taiyo used to sit. "Besides, I think Taiyo would want us to celebrate. He always loved Christmas." Across the table from him, Daiki shrugged.

"I don't care really." Ryutaro nodded in agreement, Chinen joining in. He didn't have much of an opinion on the matter.

"We should do it." Inoo said. "I'm ready. I want..." He paused, sending a look Shoon's way. "I want to be happy about something." There were nods all around, and Shoon smiled a small smile at all of them.

"Okay." He said. "We'll get a tree tomorrow." And so Chinen came downstairs the following morning to find that while he had slept Shoon, Yabu, Hikaru, Daiki, Takaki, and Inoo had all gone out and somehow procured a real pine tree and lots of trinkets to decorate it with. The living room was abuzz with movement, everyone more alive than they'd been since Taiyo's passing, and Chinen watched in amazement for a few minutes before quickly joining in on the action, helping with stringing up lights and hanging glass baubles from the tree limbs. Takaki had to pick him up to help him reach the top branches.


	18. Chapter 18

Christmas seemed to spark a new energy in the house, and the addition of their beautiful Christmas tree seemed to help keep the spark alive. Instead of hiding in their rooms, all of the boys in the house seemed drawn to it like moths to a flame, and most evenings they now all sat in the living room, admiring the tree and playing games. During the day, Chinen found himself out shopping. He knew he wanted to get some of his housemates Christmas presents, and he only had a week. The week flew by in a flurry of increasingly excited whispering and discreet additions to the pile of presents under their tree, and it wasn't long before Chinen found himself being roused from sleep by an extremely bubbly Yuto, and an obviously newly woken himself Takaki, the both of them in matching Santa hats, Yuto's obviously much too large for him, the white fluffy rim falling in his eyes a bit.

"Merry Christmas!" Yuto declared, and Chinen just blinked drowsily at him, debating, not sure if he was willing to fight for a few more minutes of sleep. It didn't seem to matter what he was willing to fight for however, when Takaki scooped him up out of his bed, carrying him out of his room.

"Everyone's waiting for you." The older teen told him. "We want to open our presents." They tromped down the stairs, and as they came into view of the boys sitting around the tree below, Chinen's housemates started to clap, harrowing Yuto and Takaki's success in rousing him. Chinen ducked his head a bit in embarrassment, but there was no malicious intent behind the clapping, and he couldn't help but smile when Inoo pulled the Santa hat off of his own head and plopped it on Chinen's. Chinen noticed a box of doughnuts on the floor, already over half-empty, and he helped himself as Shoon began passing around presents.

To Chinen's great surprise the whole day was extremely enjoyable. They all opened their gifts, and there was something infinitely more cheerful about the group when they all were the focus of the gift giving—and receiving—than when the energy was focused on just one person, as it had been for Chinen's birthday. Exclamations of excitement and gratitude filled the air, and it was nice to see smiles on everyone's faces, regardless of how small. Only Yabu and Yuto cried, and even then, the tears didn't last long. Chinen got presents from the same people he'd gotten birthday gifts from, but the atmosphere was somehow better this time, making the experience much more enjoyable.

After the presents were opened they all laid around, drinking tea and snacking on the candies and other treats they'd received, playing in small groups with their new toys or weapons, they'd gotten for Christmas. Everyone thanked Shoon. Then, about midday Yamada started a full house poker match, all ten of them lounging around in the living room, sprawled out on couches and wedged in the space between the coffee table and others legs. Chinen himself took a seat on Ryutaro's lap, a warm happiness in his chest as the younger boy pretended to protest, his hands looping around Chinen's waist.

They played a few rounds there before someone had the bright idea to relocate to the kitchen table, that way everyone would have a seat, and there would be much less risk of cheating. The idea was agreed upon at once, and after they'd relocated the games only got to be more and more intense. Chinen found that while he'd known Hikaru and Shoon to be good poker players, Inoo turned out to also be a formidable opponent, the pretty teen a stellar bluffer. Ryutaro too played well, and most matches came down to the five of them at the end, although Daiki smoked them all one time.

Time flew as they played, everyone swapping banter and telling stories and laughing. The sun set unnoticed, until Shoon pulled out of a game to go out and grab dinner, their leader braving the cold and returning a short time later with what seemed to Chinen an unlimited supply of fried chicken. The cards were put away, and plates were put in their place, and for a moment Chinen found himself wondering if the chatter would just stop, everyone falling silent and retreating back into themselves now that it was dinner time. He had nothing to worry about. They all just kept going, Inoo telling some story about Daiki stealing raw meat from a butcher when they were kids, much to everyone's amusement. For the first time in months, they actually talked to each other throughout the meal. It was as though the magic of Christmas had broken the fog of depression surrounding them, allowing them to perhaps, begin to heal. Not that Chinen really believed in that sort of thing.

Soon January was upon them, and with the new month—and the new year—came change. Chinen noticed that it seemed that the new year had ushered in a new want to be happy that unified the household. They renewed dinner conversation as a regular—and, with luck, permanent—part of their lives, a part that rooted and grew, branching out through their lives and spreading throughout their days until—with the aid of time—Chinen found they all could chat nearly as free spiritedly as they had before Taiyo's passing. It wasn't quite the same, but then Chinen supposed that it never would be like it was before.

The biggest changes Chinen noticed were in a couple of his housemates. Takaki and Yabu still were going out at night, the older boys not returning until the early hours of morning, usually long after Chinen had fallen asleep. This had been something Chinen had been sure would be temporary, but over a month had passed since their first outing, and there were no signs of the pair letting up. He didn't really like it, and he knew he wasn't the only one, Hikaru's face going slightly sour whenever Takaki and Yabu would sweep out the door and into the cold night. Despite all of the healing that everyone was feeling, Hikaru had become much more withdrawn than he'd been before Taiyo's death. His face—while no longer holding the emptiness it had held before—was often kept in a blank, unreadable state, and he cracked many fewer jokes, the tattooed teen keeping his thoughts to himself.

While Hikaru was becoming more withdrawn, Chinen's housemate was becoming busier than ever. Shoon had been swamped with..._something_—meetings or deals, Chinen assumed, and in his absence Hikaru had taken on helping some of the other boys train for fighting, and he even would occasionally watch over their study sessions. Shoon seemed to be tired, a slight weariness in his face sometimes that took Chinen by surprise whenever he glimpsed it. But despite not being able to be around as much, whenever their leader was able to be with them he made a great effort to talk with them and play games and shower them with affection. Overall it was something that Chinen found he didn't mind, as it didn't affect his life negatively in the slightest.

Shoon wasn't the only one showing more affection than before. As the weeks turned to months Ryutaro started touching Chinen more and more. It was just little things at first—sitting squished up next to each other on the couch, their thighs touching, or casual touches on his shoulders and back—but it grew into hand holding, and him pulling Chinen into his lap, or at the very least slinging an arm around Chinen's shoulders whenever they were together, even during meals sometimes. They spent all of their waking time together, Chinen finally admitting to himself that he was completely and irrevocably enamored by the younger boy.

He was positively charmed by his way of speech, by the willingness Ryu had to participate in anything Chinen asked him to. He adored the younger boy's big, serious eyes, and the ferocity with which he expressed his emotions when he chose to do so. It came to him one evening at the end of February that _this_ had to be what love was, and as soon as he thought it he _knew._ He just knew is if it was something he had always known. He was in love with Ryutaro. That realization was only reinforced by the warm, electric tingle every brush of their skin and meeting of their eyes still brought to him. It wasn't until the beginning of March however, that these feelings were properly confronted.

It was evening, Chinen having joined Ryutaro in his bedroom after dinner had ended and Takaki had gone out. The two boys had sat on the floor; they had been playing a simple card game, but it had grown more and more competitive, Ryutaro eventually abandoning his cards in favor of tackling Chinen with a playful growl, the younger boy’s admittedly slightly larger body pushing him back onto the carpet. Chinen felt a warm giggle bubble up from his stomach, and he pushed back against Ryu, slithering out from under him and jumping on his back, reversing their positions. He ran his hands up and down Ryu’s sides and along his neck, aiming for ticklish spots, proud to hear high, strained squeals and some quickly murmured curses fall from his companion’s lips. Ryutaro quickly rolled over, the action taking him away from Chinen.

The younger boy pulled himself sharply to a sitting position as Chinen scrambled to close the distance between them, not ready to give up. But Ryutaro went on the offensive, reaching out for Chinen and pulling him to his chest in a tight, restrictive hug.

"Got you." He muttered, Chinen giggling and pretending to struggle against Ryu's grip, pulling himself nearly all of the way out of the younger boy's grasp, before a particularly sharp tug pulled him back, and he saw it coming a split second before it actually happened, his eyes slamming shut in anticipation of the impact. It wasn’t a kiss, not really. Their lips were touching, sure, but it was harsh, misaligned and almost painful in their mistaken contact. There was no want in it, no steady movement or deliberate action, and Chinen pulled away as soon as he had regained his center of balance, falling back onto his heels. Ryutaro was immensely red, and Chinen barely had time to register that that was probably the younger boy’s first kiss before Ryutaro was apologizing for his roughness, asking if Chinen was okay. He put a hand on the younger boy’s cheek, knowing that he’d liked it when Takaki would do that to him, and he murmured

“Ryu—Ryu, hold on a second.” Ryutaro immediately froze, lips falling silent, eyes curious and slightly concerned.

“What?” His question wasn’t answered, Chinen instead opting to lean himself forward, snuggling into the younger boy’s chest. Ryu fell silent, running his hands up and down Chinen’s back a few times before resting them right below his shoulder blades. Chinen could feel Ryu’s heart pounding in his chest, and he buried his face into his neck, tucking it into the crook where it fit perfectly under the younger boy’s chin. He relished the feeling, the contact making him warm and elated. They sat there in silence for a few moments, before Ryutaro spoke again.

"Chinen, I—" He stopped, and Chinen felt him swallow, Ryu's throat moving against his head as he did so. His voice was smaller and less confidant sounding than usual, and Chinen began to wonder if perhaps Ryutaro—precious, amazing Ryutaro—was upset, and so he pulled away enough to where they could look each other in the eye, concerned. Ryutaro was red, his face flushed, and he seemed anxious and embarrassed about something. Chinen was just about to ask what that something was when Ryu leaned in, placing a quick kiss on his cheek.

Chinen blinked in surprise, the spot where Ryutaro had kissed him tingling slightly. Ryutaro had never kissed him before—unless they were counting the painful clash of lips that had taken place only a few minutes previously. He felt light headed, _elated_ by his object of endearment's display of affection, and if being kissed on the cheek felt this good, he could only imagine what other things could feel like. Dazed, Chinen pressed himself back into Ryutaro—pushing their bodies together as much as he could—this time his back pressed into Ryu's chest, his head once again under the younger boy's chin, where it belonged—and as he settled in, he said as he buried his nose into the younger boy's neck

"I love you, Ryu." He felt Ryutaro's heart beat rapidly increase, the rest of the younger boy going still. Oops. He hadn't really thought out the impact of those words. Chinen angled his head up, trying to gauge how Ryu was feeling. He let a few moments pass, waiting for a response, and when he got none he prompted "I'm _in love with you_ Ryu. I—" He paused, deciding against some ridiculous, cheesy speech that would do nothing more than embarrass his crush, instead just asking "Do you love me too?"

It was at that paramount moment that the bedroom door swung open, Yamada breaking the spell as he shuffled in, a yawn encompassing their housemate's face, his katana gripped loosely in one hand.

"Hey, sorry guys, but I'm going to bed now, so...I'm going to have to ask you to disperse." Yamada said blearily. Chinen nodded, removing himself from Ryutaro's lap and getting to his feet, taking the chance to escape, because suddenly he felt _scared_. He was scared to know the answer to his question, scared to find out if Ryutaro loved him or not, because what if he didn't? What if the younger boy did not love him and was, in fact, repulsed by the notion of the two of them being in love? Chinen had been thrown aside many times in his life, but he knew it would be devastating to be rejected by Ryu. But what if he did? What would happen to them then? How would their relationship change? Most importantly, what would Ryutaro _expect_ of him, _especially_ since he knew about Chinen's sexual relationship with Takaki?

All of these questions filled his mind, and so—struck by a sudden wish to run—he bailed, saying a quick 'good night', and making for the door. It seemed to take Ryutaro a moment to contemplate what was happening, the younger boy just sitting there as Chinen pulled away from him, before going after Chii. He caught Chinen just as he stepped outside the doorway, Ryu grabbing him by the hand with a slightly frantic

"Wait!" Chinen turned to face him, and Ryutaro's eyes were shining with hope, and they were locked on Chinen's face as he said quietly "Yes." Chinen felt a rush of something an awful lot like relief, or perhaps happiness, flood his body and he nodded, a smile working its way into his face.

"We—we'll talk about this properly tomorrow. After breakfast. How's that sound?" He'd barely gotten the sentence out before Ryutaro was agreeing, obviously enthusiastic. And then, after shared glances full of affection and excitement, and a tight squeeze shared between their clasped hands, they parted for the night, minds filled with the possible new changes that morning would bring. Yet if they had known what was going to be awaiting them the following morning, they wouldn't have been so excited about the rising of the sun.


	19. Chapter 19

Chinen woke the following morning to Yuto's voice, high pitched and frantic in his ear. He grumbled, reluctant to get up, but there was something unnerving in Yuto's tone, and he finally opened his eyes to see his housemate shaking an obviously still half asleep Takaki, the oldest boy sitting on the edge of his bed, his hair all in his face. Yuto grabbed Takaki by the shoulder, yanking on him, trying to pull him to his feet. It was then that Chinen tuned in to what the skinny boy was saying.

"I don't know what to do. You have to see, you have to help me. He's _gone."_

"I'm sure he's not gone for good. You're probably overreacting, Yuto. He'll be right back." Takaki grumbled, his voice throaty as he allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Yuto wasn't convinced.

"You're wrong this time, Takaki. He's not coming back. He left a note and everything."

"What happened?" Chinen asked, finally awake enough to pull himself to a sitting position, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. It was Takaki who answered.

"Yuto says that the Kumi-cho is gone." Chinen just stared at his friend, disbelieving. His brain could barely comprehend what Takaki had said. It didn't make any sense.

"What do you mean, _gone?"_ It was Yuto who answered him this time.

"I mean there's a note downstairs on the kitchen table, and he's not in his room." Chinen stood sharply, feeling himself becoming anxious and upset. Shoon wouldn't just leave. He wouldn't abandon them. He loved them. Chinen threw on some pants, tearing down the stairs and turning into the kitchen sharply, skidding to a halt when he caught sight of Inoo and Daiki, the two boys hunched over a small paper, and he felt a bubble of dread rise in his chest when he noticed that Inoo was quivering, his face scrunched up, holding in unshed tears, and when Daiki finished reading he slammed a fist into the table, his eyes dark with an anger that sent chills down Chinen's spine. Inoo collapsed into a chair, his face buried in his arms. Chinen snagged the page, reading it as Yuto and Takaki came down the stairs behind him. It was a letter, short and to the point.

_Dear Everyone,_

_ I'm appointing Hikaru as the next Kumi-cho. Goodbye. I'm sorry._

_ Yamashita Shoon_

Chinen's chest felt tight, as if constricted by an unseen force. He felt numb as Takaki took the paper from his hands, not wanting to believe the implication of the words written on the page. Not wanting to accept that he had been abandoned by someone he trusted so much. Someone he'd thought loved him. He took up a post in a corner of the kitchen, mind going through the words of the letter again and again, analyzing it, trying to peel away some meaning, some understanding. Yet as he did this, he came to realize that he couldn't find any reasoning behind this sudden abandonment. Shoon hadn't explained himself. He'd never made any indication that he was planning on leaving. He hadn't given them a choice, or at least an explanation. He'd just gone, leaving them out to dry, and the more Chinen thought about it, the angrier he became.

Who was Shoon to do this to him? To _them?_ How could he call himself their leader, and ask them to trust him—to _follow_ him—and then just turn around and disappear? That was not what a leader was. That was not what a leader should do, and Chinen felt foolish for having put such faith in Shoon. He'd never placed himself willingly under someone else before, and now he knew it had been a mistake. He couldn't just follow anyone, and he certainly wasn't going to sit back and let _Shoon_ the man who had abandoned them, tell him who to listen to. He came to this conclusion just as Hikaru—the last to arrive—came down the stairs. Hikaru. That was who Shoon had appointed to be the next leader. As if Shoon had any authority left. As if he could be _trusted_ to make such an important decision.

Chinen was _furious,_ defiant. He wouldn't let Shoon dictate his life. No one made decisions for him. He was mature enough to make his own. He was strong enough, smart enough, to do as he pleased. He wasn't just some plaything that could be thrown aside when one got bored of it. He was important! He was worth listening to! _He_ could run the kumi. He would. He'd show Shoon. He’d show Shoon and anyone else who had ever cast him aside, or deemed him to be lesser than themselves. He would do it, he decided, watching as Hikaru got the news of Shoon's departure. Hikaru seemed to be having a hard time comprehending the situation, unwilling to give up on the boy he'd been so faithful to, and Chinen watched as Hikaru searched for Shoon desperately for a few moments before giving up.

"So, now what...Erm...Kumi-cho?" Yamada's words—directed at Hikaru—put Chinen in action. They were going to follow Shoon to the end, it seemed, and just _give_ Hikaru the position of leader. He wouldn't follow so blindly. He wouldn’t let Hikaru have that title so easily. Hikaru meanwhile, seemed unaware of Chinen's thought process, the tattooed teen taking Yamada into his arms, saying loud enough for all of them to hear

"Everything is gonna be okay..."

"Did you know? That Kumi-cho was leaving?" Takaki's voice was scared and accusing, and Chinen glanced over at his friend, Takaki looking so lost and confused that it made him stop for a moment, empathy for his friend washing over him. This was hitting them all hard. Hikaru, meanwhile, was violently denying the accusation, declaring

"No! He didn't tell me anything!" It was both relieving and frustrating. Hikaru could be trusted; _he_ hadn't hid anything from them. But they were still in the dark, no new information available. Daiki cursed, a string of crude words shooting rapid fire from his lips, and Ryutaro kicked Hikaru's dining chair in frustration, cracking the wood. Everyone seemed to be over the initial shock, and Chinen thought that now would be the best time to challenge Hikaru, his resolve strong as he walked up to the older boy, grabbing him by his shirt and pulling the other boy's head down to his level, staring him in the eye, trying to show just how serious he was as he said

_"He_ appointed you Kumi-cho. He's left us. If he's not back in two days, then I don't think he should have a say in the matter." He kept his voice low, trying to keep their housemates from being a part of this conversation. "I'm challenging you for the title of Kumi-cho. In two days, we'll have a fight; we'll decide it then. Agreed?" Hikaru just blinked at him for a moment, as if unable to comprehend. Then, finally, the older boy nodded, Chinen releasing him and letting him stand back up at his full height. He pulled away, realizing that—despite trying to be rather quiet—everyone knew what had just transpired between the two of them. He avoided their eyes, still upset and angry, instead flitting up the stairs and hiding away in his room, sitting on his bed, back against the wall. He sat in silence, contemplating the events of the morning; wondering if he was truly capable of defeating Hikaru in a fight.

He was barely there for half an hour before the door was pushed open, Ryutaro peeking inside tentatively. When the younger boy saw that he was inside he entered, quietly shutting the door behind himself. Chinen stayed silent, watching Ryu walk over to him, the younger boy sitting down on the edge of the bed next to Chinen, his hands on his knees. They sat in silence for a few moments, Chinen sitting up, scooting closer to Ryu on reflex, wanting to be near the boy he loved. Finally, Ryu broke the silence.

"So...now what?" He asked. Chinen sent him a confused glance.

"What?"

"We decided that today, after breakfast; we were going to discuss....us." Ryutaro paused. "Breakfast has been kinda ruined, and things are different now, but I thought I'd still ask. Because, I mean—" He finally glanced over at Chinen, taking Chinen's hand in his own and giving it a squeeze, his cheeks tinting red as he did so. "—I still love you." Chinen glanced down at their entwined fingers, brain working rapidly to try and find a way to get what he wanted. A way to have both the Kumi-cho position and Ryutaro. Eventually, he sighed, forcing himself to pull his hand from Ryutaro's own. He couldn't have both, and he knew which one he had to choose.

"Ryu, I love you too—" He began, not wanting to have to continue. "—but I can't be the Kumi-cho and love you. If I'm going to be a leader, I can't pick you over anyone else. I have to be fair, and unbiased, and..." He felt himself becoming more upset the more he talked. "...I can't love you anymore. Once I'm Kumi-cho, there will be no way for us to be together, and Ryu—" He paused, waiting for Ryutaro to look at him, wanting to make eye contact, wanting to show just how committed he was. "—I _am_ going to be Kumi-cho. I'm serious about it." He couldn’t back out now. He’d already challenged Hikaru, already announced his choice; even if at the time he hadn’t realized the full implications of his declaration, he wasn’t going to just give up and agree to let Shoon keep running his life even after he’d thrown Chinen away. They fell into another silence, and it crossed Chinen’s mind to apologize, but he had never been ashamed of what he wanted, and he wasn’t going to start now.

“So…what would you like to do until then?” Ryutaro’s voice was resigned, and he looked over at Chinen, accepting of Chinen’s decision. “You have two days until you have to stop loving me. What do you want to do until then?” Chinen couldn’t believe how amazing Ryutaro was being. Ryu was perfect; he was accepting, and faithful, and everything Chinen wasn’t, and it astounded him. He thought for a moment about what he wanted to do, but only one thing came to mind.

“I just want to be with you.” He said, and Ryutaro nodded, Chinen taking his hand and squeezing it tight.

“Okay.” Ryu murmured, pulling Chinen to him, and they leaned into each other, not talking, just curled up in each other’s arms. They eventually lay down, Chinen pulling a blanket over top of the two of them as they snuggled, just being in each other’s presence, soaking up the closeness while they had the chance. It was peaceful, and over time the words shared between them grew to be less and less, and they fell asleep. They slept most of the day, both exhausted from the emotional roller coaster that the morning had taken them on, waking in the late afternoon, but not moving until Daiki peeked his head inside the doorframe, the older boy saying shortly

“Dinner.” Dinner itself was immensely depressing. Everyone was deathly quiet, and it almost felt as though they had reverted back to the way they had been at the end of October, right after Taiyo had died. The only difference was that instead of Shoon sitting on Chinen’s right, Hikaru was sitting there, in the chair that the Kumi-cho sat in. Chinen stared at him as he sat down, defiant and trying to convey to Hikaru that he was not intimidated by the older boy. Trying to make Hikaru understand that _he_ would not accept Shoon’s decision so easily. The rest of the evening was spent in silence, Chinen giving Ryutaro a discreet kiss on the cheek before going to bed, the mattress feeling big and empty after spending all day in Ryu’s arms.

The next day Chinen woke late, and by the time he’d made it down the stairs most of the others had already eaten. He took his time, fixing himself a meal and eating it in silence. No one else was down there at all, much to his surprise. He assumed that they had already dispersed for the day, the loss of their leader making many of them hide in their rooms. It reminded him—just as dinner the night before had—of the emptiness and depression that had plagued them just after Taiyo’s death, and it made him angry. How could Shoon do this to them? That anger just made him all the more determined to succeed in his fight against Hikaru the next morning, to prove to his housemates that he would never abuse their faith the way Shoon had. To prove that he was to be looked up to; listened to. Trusted.

After breakfast he decided that he should probably get a bit of sparring done before the fight the next day, and he searched around a bit for someone, eventually peering out their front door, into the alley. That was where most of them were. Hikaru was practicing with Yamada while Yabu, Yuto, and Inoo watched, the boys occasionally voicing opinions or giving tips. Chinen watched for a few moments. Hikaru was very good, his body was much _bigger_ and more muscular than Chinen's own, and it made him slightly anxious. It also made him anxious that so many of their housemates had chosen to help Hikaru. But that didn't necessarily mean they'd _chosen Hikaru_ or—even more nauseating—chosen _Shoon’s decision_ over him, he reminded himself. It just meant that Hikaru was up first, and perhaps had even asked.

He rallied Takaki and Ryutaro, the three of them all going out, unnoticed by the others. Takaki lead them to a seemingly abandoned dock where he said they wouldn't be disturbed or watched, and there Chinen trained. He had his two friends come at him individually, and then together, and both boys seemed amazed by his agility, neither one ever able to get him immobile. They didn't spar for too long, Chinen's confidence rising as his opponents were defeated easily, and when they returned home he noticed that Hikaru was still out with his posse, the older boy's body slick with sweat, concentration etched onto his face. Tomorrow was the defining day. Chinen felt a tight, excited churning in his stomach, and he barely got dinner down, his plan to just go straight to bed and crash. He was caught at the top of the stairs by Ryutaro.

"Good luck tomorrow." The younger boy smirked cockily. "Not that I think you're really going to need it. You're amazing, Chinen." Chinen smiled, taking Ryu's hand and giving it a squeeze. The younger boy leaned in, going up on his toes a bit and placing a kiss on the top of Chinen's head. When he pulled away he was blushing. "Good night."

"Good night, Ryu." Chinen murmured back, and as the younger boy walked away, Chinen wondered for the first time since he’d turned Ryu down if he had made the wrong choice.

All doubts were cast aside the next morning. Chinen was a ball of determination from the moment he opened his eyes. He woke nearly two hours before his usual time, rolling out of bed and finding himself the second one awake, only having been beaten by Yuto, the younger boy making rice and eggs for himself. At Chinen's request he made enough for the both of them, Chinen eating heartily, talking with Yuto about the upcoming fight for a bit before Inoo and Daiki came down the stairs. As the morning progressed the rest of their housemates slowly filtered in, Takaki taking Chinen into his arms as soon as he saw him, saying quietly

"You've got this, Chii. I believe in you." Chinen nodded, giving his friend a tight hug. Hikaru and Yabu were the last to arrive and, impatient, butterflies battering the inside of his rib cage making him slightly nauseous, Chinen immediately went up to Hikaru, saying

"Now? He's still not back, as expected." Hikaru blinked at him for a moment, Yabu even opening his mouth to protest, but then their tattooed housemate nodded, and Chinen led the group of boys out into the alley. The rest of their housemates formed a ring around them as Hikaru removed his shirt, his lean body showing off his muscle, but Chinen didn't let himself get intimidated, he too sliding off his top and turning to face his opponent. He could see Hikaru sizing him up, and he noticed the exact moment that the older boy underestimated him, and it was then that he knew he was going to win. He smirked, standing firm, and he said

"Come." He watched, pushing down the butterflies trapped in his rib cage, as Hikaru took a deep breath. But then the older boy rushed at him, swinging a fist right for his face, and the match began. Chinen dodged the blow by arching his back, pushing himself into a bridge and putting all of his weight on his hands, lifting his body into a handstand and kicking out, hoping to catch Hikaru's face instead. He missed, instead managing to hit a shoulder, and he frowned in disappointment. He flipped himself back into his feet, barely right side up when Hikaru's foot connected with his chest, knocking all of the air out of Chinen's lungs and sending him stumbling backwards sharply. Ouch.

He spun to face Hikaru, taking big gulps of air, and he ran at the bigger boy, closing the distance between them and aiming a punch at Hikaru's face. Hikaru blocked it easily, pushing the hand away and instead managing to get one of his own on the top of Chinen's forehead. It hurt, but it just clipped him, not making any real impact, and Chinen spun, curling in close to Hikaru and ramming a sharp elbow into his ribs, kicking out at his feet. In response Hikaru managed to land a jab with his knee into the small of Chinen's back, Chinen falling forward into a roll before standing back up a safe distance away.

The fight lasted for what felt like a lifetime. The minutes passed unchecked in sharp kicks and hard hands on sweat slicked skin, and Chinen could feel them both slowing down. He could see the fatigue in Hikaru's body, and he knew that the older teen was feeling the same exhaustion Chinen was, and he decided that he was ready to end the fight, ready to just _win._ He saw an opportunity when he managed to get behind Hikaru, the bigger boy not turning fast enough, and he threw himself up into Hikaru's back, wrapping his arms around one shoulder and letting himself hang, dead weight, forcing Hikaru off his center of balance.

His plan worked, Hikaru stumbling and biting the pavement harshly, and Chinen knew that this was no time to play nice. He jumped on top of the older boy, hands balled into fists, and he landed punch after punch on Hikaru's face, not letting himself relent, seeing victory in the blood beginning to cover his knuckles. Hikaru was struggling, his big hands on Chinen's torso, trying to pull Chinen off of him, but either due to fatigue, or the slickness of his skin, the older teen was failing, and Chinen felt a sense of accomplishment rise up in him when suddenly Yabu's voice rang out

"STOP! Don't hurt him anymore! Do you want another one of us gone?!" Chinen froze, looking down at the bloodied mess that was Hikaru's face, and he swallowed in surprise at just how _much_ blood there was. But it didn't matter. Hikaru would be fine. And now—now he had won. He pulled himself to his feet, legs slightly wobbly from exhaustion, and he stepped away from Hikaru, pride welling up in his chest. The rest of their housemates all seemed stunned into silence, and for a few moments everything seemed frozen, perfectly unchanging. But then, in a weak voice Inoo declared

"Winner: Chinen Yuri." Chinen was too exhausted to smile, his whole body pulsing with pain; but it was then that Ryutaro stepped forward, and in that moment all Chinen wanted to do was rush into the younger boy's arms; but Ryu offered him no comfort, instead bowing low, the action so polite that it threw him off guard for a moment, and the boy he loved said in a serious voice

"Congratulations.....Kumi-cho." And then Chinen remembered that he had made his choice. And he felt a little bit sad. But then he saw the fear and respect in Inoo and Yuto's eyes, and the pride in Takaki's and he smiled. He had done it. Shoon didn’t dictate his life. He had no room for anyone that didn’t truly value him any longer. He made his own future. He turned to Yabu and Daiki, and he said wearily

"Help Hikaru up and clean his wounds please." The two older boys nodded immediately, saying unanimously

"Yes sir." Satisfaction glowed warmly in his belly at the immediate obedience. He was their leader. He had done it. He was at the top.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This last chapter is an epilogue! Thank you so much for reading!

Ten months after taking charge of the kumi a fourteen year old Chinen is up late sitting in his office, pouring over some bills and loan agreements by the light of his reading lamp when there's a knock on the door. Everything was always changing, someone always had a problem with something, it seemed, and it was up to him to fix it. He sighs, his eyes weary with a need to sleep, tucking the pages into a drawer and slouching back into his chair. He was eager to find some reason to avoid the papers, tired of looking at them.

"Come in." He calls, and the door slowly opens, revealing—to his great surprise—Ryutaro. The younger boy hadn't been alone with him since he'd become Kumi-cho, Chinen too busy to know if it was simply because of his crazy schedule or if Ryu was avoiding him. It was rather lonely. In having to treat everyone equally he had given up any special relationships he'd had, and the loss of Takaki and Ryutaro had been particularly tolling on him. Chinen had no idea how Shoon had managed to do so much on his own, and sometimes he felt like he was drowning in all of the responsibilities he had. But, he always reminded himself, he'd chosen this.

Ryutaro enters, shutting the door behind himself, and Chinen can't help but take him in, eyes washing over the already taller, already stronger frame appreciatively, up to those soul piercing, life changing eyes that the other teen had. Eyes that were currently staring him down. Chinen felt a shiver run unbidden down his spine, and he cursed internally. He had tried, truly he had—for months—to stop loving Ryutaro. But all attempts had been foolish and none had been effective. If anything they had just proven to himself that he _was_ hopelessly in love, and in effect had made his want for the younger boy grow stronger.

He gestures for Ryu to sit, but the young teen shakes his head, coming up to the desk but remaining on his feet, looking down at Chinen. Chinen decides against pressing for him to sit, and he finds his voice small, catching in his throat; he feels tiny under Ryu's gaze as he asks

"What is it that you came to see me for?" Ryutaro finally looks away, his gaze going to the top of the desk for a moment, the taller boy taking a deep breath, obviously nervous about something, before the younger boy says

"I came to tell you that I failed, and I'm sorry." He let his eyes meet Chinen's once more, conviction in his tone as he continues. Chinen is rather bewildered, not sure what Ryutaro was talking about. He hadn’t asked him to do anything, had he? "I can't help it. I don't know how to stop. I've tried, but it just hurts, and I just can't deny it anymore, and Chii..." Chinen felt his heart skip at the sudden use of his nickname, a word he hadn't heard since he'd defeated Hikaru all those months ago. "....I came to tell you that I love you." Chinen just blinked numbly at Ryutaro for a moment, slowly comprehending what was being said to him, and as he did he felt as though he may just cry. Slowly he stood, unable to fight the well of emotion in his chest as he murmured

"Oh Ryu....come here." He leaned over the desk, finally letting himself do as he'd wanted for a good year, and he pulled Ryutaro in for a kiss, the younger boys lips sliding against his own, soft and warm and at just the right pressure to make his head spin, and it took all of the self control he had to pull away. He rounded the edge of his desk, and he slammed into Ryutaro's chest, wrapping his arms tightly around him, burying his face into his shoulder, and he said shakily "Me too. I love you too."

"I've missed you so much." Ryutaro's voice was rough with emotion, and Chinen nodded, his face still pressed into Ryu, unwilling to move it. They stood like that for a long time, Chinen relishing the feeling of Ryutaro's pulse in his ear, the boys scent soothing him as he stood there. Finally they took a step back away from each other, Chinen catching Ryutaro's hand in his own, and Ryutaro said

"What do we do now? We can't be together, but I don't want to keep fighting what I feel."

"Stay. Be with me." The words fell from Chinen's lips unthought through, and Ryutaro blinked over at him in surprise, asking

"But what about the rest of the Kumi, and the unbiased opinion you're supposed to have, and that you can't love me?" Chinen shook his head, no longer able to give a damn about those things he'd said in the past.

"I don't care. What I know is that I love you, and I don't want to let you go." He paused. "They don't need to know. It's not their business who I love. We could keep it a secret, just the two of us." He waited, wanting nothing more than to immerse himself back into Ryutaro’s arms, trying and failing to gage how Ryutaro felt about his proposal. Yet after a long moment the younger boy smiled, nodding.

"Okay." Chinen leaned in, kissing him again, and Ryutaro wrapped his arms around him, holding him close, and Chinen felt happiness wash over him so strongly that it made him weak in the knees, and he leaned into Ryutaro's chest, his world finally complete.


End file.
